Tainted
by rukia23
Summary: Sequel to Many Faces of Innocence..With Reina supposedly dead, how will everyone who loved her cope? Some will make rash decisions, some will attempt to avenge her and another will try to save her. TakumaxOc, slight KanamexOc, possible YuukixOc
1. Chapter 1 In the Darkness

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight.

Hello again! I'll make this quick... This is the sequel to the Many Faces of Innocence, if you haven't read that then this might not make an ounce of sense. This chapter is a little short, the next few chapters will be too so that I can sort of..well you'll see.

Thus Tainted begins...

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**Chapter 1**

**In the Darkness**

A man with gray eyes let his gaze roam over the body of a white haired girl that was currently curled up against the back wall of the dark, cold stone cell in front of him, her small, delicate wrists and ankles were bound by heavy iron shackles that were bolted to the damp stone wall behind her. Strange carvings had been made in the iron of her bonds and there was a design on the walls and floor around her that resembled a geometrical blooming rose.

The gray eyes belonged to a young man who appeared to be at least eighteen with long dark brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was dressed in a plain, smoky gray suit and a white button up shirt. His jacket was left open and the white button up beneath it was untucked, the top few buttons were undone and he looked completely at ease as he leaned into the stones across from the iron bars that caged the lifeless woman he was staring at.

She was beautiful, even in the state she was in. Her expensive jeans were covered in dirt and blood, her fitted black top was torn in several places and there was a cut on her right cheek that was slowly healing. Her snow white hair was mussed from having come loose from the pins that had held it in a neat bun at the nape of her neck, it now hung limply over her shoulder and hid part of her face from view.

It was a horrible sight, to see such beauty and innocence tainted by the malice and blackness of others. The young man frowned as he thought about how the being in front of him had come to be in such a disgusting, violated state. She had done everything he had asked her to without a word of complaint, but that hadn't stopped the man he called his father from taking out his rage on the girl when he had come to see that she was behaving. There was no way for her to defend herself from the blows he inflicted upon her, the magic of her bonds and the symbol that had been painted on the wall making it impossible for her to use any of her own strength to do anything but curl up in a protective ball and huddle against the floor. He had had to stop his father, watching the abuse was making him sick to his stomach, the poor creature in front of them didn't deserve to be treated in such a vile fashion.

With a sigh, the young man pushed himself away from the wall, pulling his hands from his pockets and walking to the door of the cell. He pushed the creaky door open and stepped into the chamber, walking towards the figure in the back. He stood over the white haired woman who still hadn't made a sound or even moved. Crouching down before her, the man carefully placed a hand under her chin that was tucked into her chest and lifted her face up, brushing her hair from her eyes to get a better look at her. Sapphire eyes fluttered open and a small groan poured from her throat as his thumb traced the slowly healing cut on her cheek.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," he assured the frightened girl that was trying to desperately back further into the wall, softly. "I would like to help you."

"Liar," she spat hoarsely. "Get away from me."

"I can't do that, I need to get you out of here, and then I need to make you die."

Before she could protest, his arms were around her in a comforting hug, she felt a strange sensation on the back of her neck and then everything faded into blackness.

* * *

The same gray eyed man later stood in front of the same cell, but now the cell was empty, occupied only by the iron chains and shackles that would forever be bolted to its walls. There was a stiff looking man that resembled him, only older, to his left, looking into the cell with a look mixed with disgust and triumph on his face. The man was his father, Daiki Takamora.

"I have disposed of anything that could indicate she was ever here. Reina Tsukina is dead and there is no proof we were involved in anyway," he said.

"Good job Ken," the older man replied. "I do wish she had behaved herself just a little longer, it would have made Kaname more pliant, but oh well."

"What would you like me to do now Father," Ken inquired.

"Nothing, now we wait for the true king to return."

Ken's eyes were blank pits as his lips twisted up into an emotionless smile. "In that case, I'm a bit..hungry, I'm going to go find something to eat," he commented, his voice as emotionless as his smile. Showing emotion of any kind in front of his father was never a good thing and he had learned long ago to hide everything he was thinking or feeling, or suffer for it.

"Fine, but be careful. Kaname would have noticed immediately that her presence vanished and I'm worried that the Ichijo may not follow orders very willingly now," Daiki commented dryly.

"I'm not so sure," Ken mused evenly. "The boy may very well end up being more useful now that she's out of the picture."

His father's gray eyes cornered to him briefly, narrowing darkly. "I do hope my dear, cute child that you're not planning anything without my consent."

"Of course not father, I'm just making an observation, that's all. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a beautiful young lady to seduce," Ken smirked, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he turned to leave the drafty dungeon beneath a small stone building to the south of the Ichijo mansion.

Ken's feet crunched into the gravel and dirt that made up the path that led away from the dungeons, it was snowing softly and the the sky was just starting to lighten as the sun began to rise over the groves of trees. His footsteps were heard as he walked over the frozen ground, it was the only sound aside from the falling snow that muted out everything else. The sound of the footsteps stopped and there was a swooshing howl of wind that caused little snow tornadoes to spring into existence for a moment before everything was utterly silent and Ken was nowhere to be seen.

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Please review, I'd like to know everyone's thoughts on the beginning.


	2. Chapter 2 Thoughts of You

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight as I have sadly stated numerous times.

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**Chapter 2**

**Thoughts of You**

The normally bright green eyes of Takuma Ichijo seemed dull and sad as the blond stared out over the forests that surrounded the Ichijo manor. It had begun to snow not long ago and he was watching the white flakes float down from the dark and cloud riddled sky with a melancholy expression. The white flakes melted upon contact with whatever they touched, telling him that it wasn't nearly as cold as it felt to him.

There was a small spark of light in Takuma's eyes as he let them roam over the treetops and hills outside, but with every second that passed that light grew dimmer. He was desperately searching for some trace, however small it might be, of the woman he loved. When the sun finally began to brighten the landscape, all sign of hope left his eyes and his already saddened expression grew sadder, until without noticing, he had tears streaking down his pale cheeks that were more accustomed to smiling then frowning. An icy burn took up residence in his chest and he felt he may very well turn to ice as he released a shaky breath and leaned his forehead against the chill glass of his bedroom window, he couldn't find any sign of the familiar aura that belonged to his fiancé.

"Reina," he spoke aloud without noticing, the sound of his own voice in the quiet of his room startled him.

His eyes opened wide, a hand going instinctively to his chest where there was a painfully tight feeling that he knew was a result of the loss he had suffered. Even though his mind and senses were aware that it seemed to be a fact that Reina was dead, his body and heart didn't want to believe it. He wanted to push the part of him that believed her to no longer be a part of this world aside, ignore it and continue to search her out, but he knew that his search would be pointless. No matter how much he wanted to deny the lack of what he felt and what it meant, there was no denying that his senses were never wrong regardless of how hard he wished they were.

Another long sigh slipped through his lips when he realized that the sun had risen a fair amount in the sky and though it had stopped snowing sometime before, there was a thin blanket of white coating the world outside. Pulling his curtains shut, Takuma made his way to his large and rather lavish wood framed bed. He didn't bother to change or even pull the sheets down. He doubted that he would be able to sleep and if he did he knew he would be plagued by visions of the woman he had loved so dearly. Even if those memories were happy ones, he didn't think he could handle seeing her innocently smiling face or her sapphire eyes that held so much warmth.

"I'm so sorry, Reina....I was supposed to protect you... I promised," Takuma whispered, his eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. "But you died protecting me, didn't you?"

He continued to stare blankly at the ceiling, unwilling to shut his eyes because he was afraid of what he might see if he did. Eventually the troubled soul was found by the realm of sleep and he was able to get several hours of dreamless sleep that allowed him a brief respite from his pain.

When he awoke, there was light in his eyes again, but it faded when he turned his head to the side to see that he was in bed alone and the void of Reina's presence made his entire body ache. For several minutes he did nothing but lie there, staring at the spot where Reina should have been but never would be again. Slowly, a new spark lit his green eyes as he made a decision to join the woman he loved after he dealt with a few things in the material world.

* * *

The severe looking Asato Ichijo sat in a high backed, uncomfortable looking mahogany, leather covered chair. His constantly narrowed eyes peered into the darkness to the south of his home, contemplating the most recent turn of events.

"Well Ichio, it seems our little pawn didn't behave herself, what a pity," a smooth, even voice said from behind him.

Ichio turned in his chair to eye the brown haired boy before him that was casually sitting in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. "It is a shame, Rido-sama, she would have been quite useful to use against Kaname."

"Ah, yes my dear nephew always has had a little thing for her, hasn't he," the boy addressed as Rido replied with a low chuckle. "My darling nephew doesn't worry me though, will our little Takuma still do as he's told?"

"My grandson knows his place, he will not disappoint me," Ichio replied with certainty and coldness.

"Such obedience, how cute."

* * *

The Moon Dormitories were quiet, classes had ended early after the strange disappearance of Reina's aura and though everyone was curious, they had all returned to their rooms to let their beloved dorm president have peace and quiet after the recent events. He was unhappy and they all knew it and didn't want to cross him in anyway while he grieved in his own way. Two vampires had not returned to their shared room, Hanabusa Aido and Akatsuki Kain were sitting together on the couch in Kaname's office.

Kain didn't show much emotion, as usual, while he sat beside his cousin who was slouching slightly on the couch, his blue eyes staring forlornly at the carpeting at his feet and his arms folded over his chest childishly. Aido was clearly upset and he had no problem showing it. Losing Reina was a devastating blow, she had trusted him and loved him like a brother and now she was gone. She would never again tease him or poke him, sit and read with him, use him as a pillow and she would never smile at him again, that was the hardest thing for him to accept.

They were all silent, no one really knowing just what to say. Kaname was sitting in the comfortable chair behind his desk, his head resting against the cool leather and his eyes closed. When the silence was finally broken it was by Kain, who had been thinking about Reina's sudden and rather saddening death.

"I doubt that Ichijo's grandfather is responsible, indirectly, it's highly possible. Reina was a pureblood though, she should have been able to protect herself," he said calmly, his eyes watching Kaname.

Kaname sighed, raising a slim hand to rub at his temples as his tired crimson eyes opened. "You're right, she should have been able to protect herself, especially from scum like him. I do agree with you though, it's probably not Ichio's doing. The only one who should be able to kill a pureblood is another pureblood or possibly a very strong hunter, at the moment a hunter strong enough to kill us doesn't exist."

"Do you think that he's getting help from someone," Kain asked, and as always he kept his calm and lazy attitude in place.

"Most likely," Kaname replied evenly, a frown marring his perfect face.

"The only pureblood family I know of that would support anyone from the Council is-"

"The Takamora's," Aido cut in quietly, his eyes never leaving the floor .

"Correct, the Takamora's," Kaname stated.

"But that doesn't make sense," Kain said, looking from his solemn cousin and back to Kaname. "The Council wasn't supporting the Takamora's, so why would they be assisting Ichio? And just what are they doing, why would they kill Reina?"

"They didn't want her in the way," Kaname quietly answered.

Kain frowned, there was something going on, but what it was and what it would mean for the vampire world, he had no idea. Somehow though, he didn't think that anything good would come of it.

"So what are we going to do," Kain asked curiously.

"Nothing."

Aido's blue eyes widened and his breath caught in his throat as he finally tore his gaze away from the carpet to look up at Kaname.

"For now," Kaname finished.

"Hanabusa, maybe you should-"

"I'm not going anywhere, Akatsuki," Aido grumbled.

Scratching at his fiery reddish blonde hair, Kain sighed and shook his head. "What about Ichijo, he hasn't come back yet?"

"I'm sure Ichijo is already aware of the situation, he-"

"He was supposed to protect her," Aido said, his hands balling into fists in his lap and his eyes narrowing as he glared at the wall across the room. "He was supposed to keep her safe, but he didn't."

"He might not have had a choice Aido, Reina herself may have kept him from interfering in whatever happened. She would have given her life to protect him, to protect you too, and she would have no problem forcing you to let her do so. Her life was second to those of the one's she loved," Kaname tiredly explained.

The answer didn't seem to satisfy the blond boy who stood up from the couch and inclined his head toward Kaname. "Please excuse me," he mumbled hoarsely before walking to the door, his hands in fists at his sides while he fought off the tears that swam in his eyes.

Both Kaname and Kain watched him go, it was difficult to see the normally bouncy and pride filled boy looking so lonely and sad.

"Ichijo should be returning tomorrow, Shiki as well. I know Aido is upset, but it would be best if he left Ichijo alone. I'm sure he's got enough to deal with without Aido trying to confront him," Kaname told Kain without bothering to look at him and rubbing at his eyes tiredly.

"Of course," Kain replied, standing up and giving a small bow before leaving. He was really hoping that Aido would cooperate and behave, otherwise getting the spunky and unhappy blond to leave Ichijo alone would be no easy task.

Kain's thoughts kept going back to Kaname's words about the reason why Ichio would want to harm Reina. His answer had been simple, much too simple in Kain's opinion. They had wanted her out of the way, but what was she in the way of to begin with? With a half sigh, half groan, Kain ran a hand through his constantly disheveled hair before shoving both hands into his pockets. There was just too much to think about and he would rather not think about most of it at the moment. He soon found he wouldn't have to when an angry, hate filled presence made itself known outside of the dormitories.

Changing course, Kain headed downstairs to see what the cause of the hateful air was. He found Seiren already there, leaning against the banister at the bottom of the steps, her eyes on the door and her arms folded over her chest, her face was expressionless, as it always was. He took up a position across from the silver haired girl, leaning against the wall by the doors and letting his head fall into his chest and closing his eyes.

Kaname ignored the annoying presence for as long as he could, but when it became obvious the person causing it was quite persistent and had no intention of leaving anytime soon, he stood from his chair and made his way to the first floor. He ignored Kain and Seiren's watchful gazes as he pulled open the door to see that the one possessing the bitter aura was none other than Cross Academy's silver haired prefect, Zero Kiryu.

"Oh, it's just you," Kaname said distastefully as he met the boy's lavender eyes. "What do you want Kiryu?"

Zero's eyes narrowed at the vampire's blunt and uncaring response. "Yuki, she told me you avoided her question earlier, the one she told you she had for you when you returned from break. You already know what she wanted to ask, so-"

"Kain, Seiren you may both go back to your rooms," Kaname interrupted Zero's question to say to the to people who were guarding him. Once they had gotten up the stairs, he turned back to Zero. "Judging by the look in your eyes I doubt you're here to talk about Yuki. You've noticed it too. Not that I'm surprised, you do have her blood flowing through you, don't you?"

"Is she dead?"

"Never mind that for now, this isn't the place to talk. Why don't you come to my room, that is as long as you're okay with being in the room of the vampire you hate most," Kaname said, turning to lead Zero through the dorm.

Scowling his obvious displeasure at having to be anywhere near the Moon dorms and its inhabitants, Zero followed Kaname into the spotless, mansion like dormitories. His hands stayed relaxed by his sides, his eyes carefully took note of where they were going and his ears listened for any sounds of attack. When Kaname opened the door to his personal room, he glared coldly at the amused smirk on the pureblood's face.

"Make yourself comfortable," Kaname offered. "Have a seat anywhere over there," he said, waving a hand carelessly at two chairs against the wall to Zero's right.

"I think I'll stand," Zero grumbled. "Do have anything to do with Yuki's missing past or not, that's what she wanted to ask."

"You're not here to ask me about Yuki, are you," Kaname inquired monotonously, his crimson eyes assessing Zero.

Zero grunted, turning his head away from the intrusive gaze. "Is she dead?" He asked again.

"You should already know the answer to that question, I wonder why you took the trouble of coming here," Kaname answered.

Biting back the slew of curses he wanted to toss at Kaname, Zero instead settled for grumbling, "Do all you purebloods not know how to answer a damn question?"

Kaname's lips twitched slightly in amusement. "Seems so, but you have her blood flowing through you, do you not? You should already know the answer to your question."

"I hadn't noticed it, or maybe I had but ignored it, but I could always sense her. I can't sense her anymore."

"No one can," Kaname sighed.

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know," Zero growled, his fists unconsciously tensing at his sides. "She was just another one of your puppets, there was nothing she did that you didn't know about or have some sort of control over, so how could you not know?"

"If you're trying to imply that I had something to do with Reina's death, you're sorely mistaken," Kaname replied venomously.

"Am I?" Zero challenged. "You've never had a problem screwing with other people's lives. Like Yuki, you were the one that erased her memories from before she was brought to the headmaster, after all that would seem logical since you were the one to find her, alone in the middle of nowhere. Why would you take her memories and why won't you tell her? She's been having nightmares because she's been trying so hard to remember her past, a past you took from her. Do you ever plan on relieving her insecurities and telling her?!"

"Shall I relieve her of one of her insecurities now then," Kaname said evenly.

Zero grunted as an invisible force slammed into his chest, his hand flew to his waist, drawing his Bloody Rose gun before his back even impacted the wall. The gun was raised without hesitation, pressing into Kaname's jaw the second he wrapped his hand around the prefect's neck to slam him forcefully into the wall. Plaster and paint cracked as the wall groaned and protested beneath the extreme amount of force that was being put upon it.

"You might as well kill me, I'll shoot you if I get the chance," Zero threatened calmly as he stared straight into the dimly glowing eyes that were coldly glaring at him.

"I really do despise you," Kaname hissed lowly. "You are a low level vampire, your instincts should tell you to fear me, a pureblood, but you dare to bare your fangs at me."

Kaname's grip tightened around Zero's throat, little beads of crimson liquid slid from the wounds his nails were causing to stain Zero's white shirt. There was a loud crashing noise, followed by a barely heard gunshot as Zero's body was pushed through the wall. Stumbling, Zero fell against the cold porcelain of an old fashioned tub, he was pushing himself up when Kaname walked through the broken wall into his bathroom to stand menacingly over him. He lashed out at the fallen boy, his nails raking across the skin of Zero's pale neck.

A thin line of red was seeping from a small wound caused by the bullet from Zero's Bloody Rose, it was just a nick, but it made Zero feel a little better about the situation while his shirt was drenched in his own blood from the damage to his neck. Kaname grabbed Zero's hand that held his gun and much too easily for Zero's liking, lowered the object and limb to Zero's side.

"At least your eyes are honest," Kaname observed. "You see blood and they tell me that you desire it."

Zero didn't reply, instead he remained quiet as he glared icily at the vampire looming over him. He fought against the intense hunger and thirst that was building up in his chest and throat, but he knew it was pointless.

"The intervals between the 'hungers' are growing shorter, aren't they," Kaname inquired and without waiting for an answer, he continued. "You've been useful Zero, to Reina and to Yuki, but I wonder if I should just kill you now. Yuki would be sad though and I don't want to make her sad. So I guess if I'm to do this, now is as good a time as any. You should drink my blood Zero and let the shadows of insanity slip away."

"That's not funny," Zero replied blankly, his eyes wide and his heart racing.

"No, it's not is it, but you should still do it. After all within my veins flows the pureblood of the Kuran's that will lengthen your life. I've let you live because you are useful and now I'll make sure you remain useful, so drink and don't ever forget who gave you this blood."

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Thank you to- vamknightfan, DarkWolfYingFa, xXxXMomoXxXx, I'llxBexUrxEnigma201, ScaryKidsScaringKids, Cyn, redrider1007, Magenta of the Shadows, StellarAbyss, flaming-amber, lovelyanimeangel, Princesa de la Luna, ChainedHs2rt, Hakumei-Ko, xSweetNightmaresx..did I get you all...hope so thank you all for reviewing!

Please review!


	3. Chapter 3 Sides

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

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**Chapter 3**

**Sides**

Green eyes watched the ever changing landscape outside of the window of the black car. Takuma was headed back to Cross Academy and he wasn't alone. Tearing his eyes from the calm beauty of the dark forest outside, Takuma turned in his seat to smile at the person seated behind him, his arm resting on the top of a shiny black coffin as his mismatched eyes stared boredly out the window to his right.

"We're almost there Shiki," Takuma chirped happily.

The eyes of the brown haired boy moved, but his body did not and Takuma felt a slight chill when looking into the one crimson and one blue eye of not Shiki, but Shiki's father who had possessed his friend's body. Rido Kuran was a pureblood, one to be feared and not taken lightly.

"Good, I wonder how my dear nephew will react to seeing me again, especially now that that little princess is dead."

Takuma cringed at the reminder that his fiance was dead and turned back around in his seat to continue staring into the night.

The closer they came to the Academy the more uneasy Takuma became. There were a number of people he didn't want to have to see at the moment, particularly a blue eyed blond he had made a promise to, and broken. He was also betraying the trust of one of his closest friends and it didn't sit well with him.

'I can only hope you understand Kaname, that I'm doing the only thing I can. I'm sorry for betraying you too,' he thought before pushing the unhappy thoughts aside to prepare to seem more like his usual self which he really had no desire to be at the moment. The only reason he bothered trying was because he had a part to play and he would play it until the end when he could be reunited with Reina.

* * *

Two figures stood outside of the headmaster's personal living quarters. One was leaning against the wall under one of the windows, while the other leaned into a tree and stared up at the starry night sky. The only sound to be heard was the quiet chirping of crickets in the distance and the sighing of the wind in the trees.

The two figures were Aido and Kain who had been told to watch over the now sleeping Yuki Cross. The reason for this was something that they both didn't understand, but didn't question since the orders came from Kaname.

It seemed the pureblood heir had decided to take Yuki as his lover and she had agreed, even if it was a bit unwillingly. From what Aido knew, the girl was trying to find out about the five years of her life that she was mysteriously missing, her memory before five years old was nonexistent and it was weighing heavily on her as she grew.

Aido frowned at the grass beneath his feet, shifting a little to get more comfortable against the brick wall. His arms were crossed over his chest and the look in his eyes clearly said he felt he had better places to be at the moment.

Kain ignored the shuffling of his cousin to continue to stare into the sky while contemplating just how many weather balloons it would take to get someone to the moon. If it was possible anyway, which he figured it most likely wasn't since the atmospheric pressure would likely pop all the balloons well before anyone got close to the moon, and that would just result in a very messy ending that made the tall boy shiver a bit.

"It looks like it's going to snow," Kain said, breaking the quiet tension that had drifted over the two of them and taking his eyes from the sky to look at a lone figure standing on the top of the Academy.

"Umhm," Aido hummed in reply.

"I'm a little surprised you're going along with this little lovers game so willingly. Ruka locked herself in her room and won't come out because of it," Kain said, trying to start some sort of conversation to fill the silence that was beginning to get just a little too loud for his tastes.

"You have to know by now, Akatsuki, it's not a game. He's deeply attached to her and even Reina who didn't seem partial to her was protective of her, there's something more to this," Aido replied thoughtfully, his brows drawn together in thought.

Kain sighed, running a hand through his constantly disheveled fiery hair. "To me it's just a game. How should I say this...It's like he's trying to protect something precious from breaking and he's making us protect it as well."

"But what is he trying to protect her from Akatsuki? What is Kaname-sama planning and why hasn't he done anything about Reina's death? What is he waiting for," Aido asked even though he knew his cousin wouldn't have the answer.

"I don't know, but have you noticed?" Kain asked, turning his head in the direction of the Moon dorms.

"Yeah, I noticed," Aido replied, trying his best to keep the contempt and anger from his voice as he too looked towards their dormitories.

With their eyes they could both easily see the black car that had pulled up to the front of the white building. They could also see the blond head of the boy who got out of the front seat, but they couldn't quite make out much else in the darkness from this distance and with all the trees and shrubbery in the way.

"Remember what President Kuran said Hanabusa, leave him alone," Kain warned, sensing the growing anger and anguish from the blond.

Aido gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing red for several seconds as he stared after the blond. It took him a moment to relax, breathing out deeply and lowering his head and kicking at the grass. "Reina would be angry if I did anything to him anyway," he mumbled.

"And did you also notice the strange ominous feeling that's beginning to creep up on everything?"

"I did. Something's going to happen Akatsuki and I don't think it's going to be good."

"All we can do is continue to be on guard like this at the moment," he replied.

* * *

Yuki lay in the bed that she used to occupy before she had decided to move into the girl's Sun dorms several years before. It was comforting to be back in the Headmaster's home, but that did little to help calm her nerves as she curled into a ball on the bed, her hands clutching at her brown hair as she clenched her eyes shut, not wanting to see the room covered in blood like she knew she would if she opened them.

The visions had started when she began trying to recall anything about her past before she was five years old and was brought to live with the headmaster. Now that she was growing and becoming an adult, a part of her felt the need to know why she had no memories before the age of five. If only because she felt that she was living a lie. Something was telling her that there was something she needed to know about who she was because she felt that she was not who she had been told she was.

It was rather confusing and scary, to question your own existence. To wonder why your parents would abandon you in the middle of nowhere in winter, or if you even had parents. There were so many questions roving through her mind that she was unsure what to believe. Was she really Yuki Cross, was she even human, why was it that vampires seemed to be unusually attracted to the scent of her blood? And why was she seeing everything through a veil of blood?

It was frightening to see everything that she was so familiar with covered in a thick crimson liquid every time she opened her eyes, but that was all she could see and even with her eyes closed the visions still plagued her. She didn't want to fall asleep either though, for her dreams were more frightening than the blood covered visions.

Mismatched eyes haunted her, leering at her and laughing at her as hands reached out for her in the darkness that surrounded her in her nightmares.

These dreams and the visions were the reason she had agreed to become Kaname Kuran's lover. She wanted answers and she knew he had them even if he wouldn't tell her so. That and she knew that Kaname would never take advantage of her or do anything she didn't wish to do. Not long ago she would have been happy to have been asked to be Kaname's lover, she had been in love with the pureblood since the day he had saved her from the vampire who had tried to kill her.

That blood stained snowscape was the first memory she had. She had been playing in the snow in the middle of nowhere when a crazed vampire had attacked her. There was a shower of blood, splashing her and staining the whiteness around her a deep red. Looking up, she had seen Kaname standing over her, his hand covered in the blood of the vampire he had just killed. She seemed to understand that he had protected her, saved her and she loved him for it.

But now that she was trying so hard to remember what her past held, she couldn't help but think that maybe, just maybe her love for him was simply because he was in her first memories and because he was in a majority of the happy onces since then. She was beginning to question not only her own existence, but her love for the only man she had thought she would ever want.

* * *

Kaname stood atop the Academy, his long coat left unbuttoned and billowing around his thin frame with every gust of chill wind. Seiren wasn't far behind him, standing off to the side, waiting. What it was she was waiting for was unknown as Kaname stared out over the world from his high perch. He had been here for quite awhile now, standing watch over the young girl he had promised to protect and unwilling to break another promise to someone he cared about. His senses were an alert, the vampire he needed to protect Yuki from most was headed in his direction and it made the muscles in his body coil in anger.

After a few more moments of silence the sounds of footsteps could be heard approaching the two vampires. Two figures soon came into view as they stepped out of the doorway that let out on to the roof.

"It hurts me to call you my nephew, Kaname," a silky voiced cooed tauntingly as Takuma and Shiki came into view.

With his back to the two vampires, Kaname simply looked over his shoulder at them as if disinterested in anything they might have to say. He was well aware that Shiki was not the one speaking even though it was the boy's voice and his lips that moved, it was Rido Kuran, Kaname's uncle and Shiki's father.

"The last time I saw you was ten years ago, wasn't it?" Rido continued. "It hurt so badly Kaname!"

Still refusing to speak, Kaname simply stared at Shiki with slightly narrowed eyes. He hadn't failed to notice that Takuma was a step behind him, seemingly his usual self.

"The body that you destroyed took ten long years to repair itself. I guess I should thank the strong vitality of pure bloods for that. It seems that a lot has happened since I've been gone," Rido went on. "My fiance, Shizuka, has been killed by a hunter you allow to remain here..He was bitten by her, wasn't he? Can't say I really blame him for killing her, it saved me the trouble anyway. She wasn't obedient enough, not like this one's mom," he said, smiling a cold smile as he pointed to himself, indicating that he meant his son, Shiki. "It would have been troublesome to marry her."

"You haven't changed at all, Uncle," Kaname stated evenly, finally turning around to face him. "You're just the same as when I killed you."

"Am I? How interesting," Rido mused through his son's lips as his hand went to the pocket of the coat he wore. "Before I forget, I have a gift for you," removing something small and sparkling from his pocket he threw it at Kaname who easily caught the glimmering object.

Kaname's eyes flashed dangerously as his hand closed over the delicate black diamond encrusted hair comb he had given to Reina, it had been in her hair the day her aura had so quickly vanished from everyone's senses. "It seems I don't have to hesitate about killing you again," Kaname said in a voice much calmer than he obviously was.

There was a loud cracking noise as the stones in front of Kaname broke apart and tore themselves free of their places to form a sharply spiked mouth that lunged for Shiki.

"Stop Kaname!"

The stones came to a halt mere inches away from Takuma's seriously set face. The blond had stepped in front of the intended target, his arms out to his sides to keep Kaname from attacking. "I won't let you involve Shiki in your dispute."

"So I can assume you're on the Council's side," Kaname said darkly.

"You can think that if you'd like," Takuma replied calmly, not showing an ounce of fear as he stared at the pureblood who could easily kill him in less than a second.

"What happened to Reina?"

Takuma jolted, he should have expected the question, but he wasn't prepared for it. His head dropped and his gaze left Kaname's. "I don't really know."

"I see."

"Don't worry, Takuma had nothing to do with the little girl's untimely death. She was trying to protect him, but she misbehaved and was punished for it. What about the other little girl? Has she awoken from her daze yet?" Rido asked.

"Don't think a filthy lowlife like you could ever touch her Rido," Kaname hissed quietly as his body began to melt into the blackness of the night.

* * *

Ken sighed as he walked through the halls of his home, it was modest when compared to the Ichijo manor or even his own families manor, but he preferred his privacy and bought the rather modern home for himself. He was currently in the basement, which looked nothing like a basement with it's lushly carpeted floors and bright paintings that adorned the walls. Stopping at one of the doors, he pushed it open to be greeted by one of his servants.

"How is she?" Ken asked, closing the door he had just walked through behind him as he took off the gray coat he wore and tossed it carelessly onto the top of a chair to his left.

"Welcome home master, the young lady has not yet awoken," the woman he had addressed answered, bowing low so that he could actually see some of the pins holding her dark brown hair in its intricate bun. She was dressed in a black skirt suit with a white button up beneath the blazer and plain black heels on her feet.

"I think I'll pay her a visit," Ken replied, walking through the room and its modern furnishings before turning into a hall way to the right. "Make sure we aren't disturbed."

"Of course."

The room he entered was dark, but he could still see the figure on the bed, her white hair gathered over her shoulder in loose waves and her face peaceful as she slept. "It really is a shame to see such beauty so tainted."

* * *

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4 Awakenings

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Awakenings**

Ruka was leaning into the casing around her window. A soft breeze blew her hair into face as she stared into the night with a solemn expression on her face. She was upset about being overlooked by Kaname and by the fact that he had chosen to make Yuki, a human, his lover.

It was while she was staring over the moonlit forest and hills that the scent of blood reached her. Turning her head in the direction of the scent, she curiously stared into the distance. A moment later, her eyes widened and she gasped when the scent of Kaname's blood filled the air, followed by the unmistakable presence of another pure blood. She knew immediately who was giving off the aura and it shocked her.

"Impossible," she whispered to the night, putting one of her dainty hands to her lips.

* * *

Zero stood atop a building in the deserted area of the nearby town, his lavender eyes staring angrily down at the two vampires below him. His jaw clenched and his lips pulled back to reveal the sharpened fangs they had hidden.

"I knew it. The scent of Yuki's blood...You," he hissed at the brown haired male that held the girl to his chest. "To Yuki."

Kaname looked up from where he sat on a ledge of the dilapidated stone building, Yuki was in his arms and she looked up in surprise at the sound of his voice.

"Zero," she whispered pleadingly.

Growling, Zero pulled his Bloody Rose from its place at his side and pointed it at the emotionless Kaname.

"No, Zero," Yuki cried, tears gathering in her eyes., standing up and raising her arms "Please. He's my brother."

Gasping in shock, his eyes widened as he stared disbelievingly down at the two vampires below him. Yuki wobbled on her feet and with a quiet sigh, fell into Kaname's strong arms.

"You're her brother," Zero asked in shock.

"I would have been happier if I had been born as her brother," Kaname replied. "Why do you look so confused?"

"Because she said you were her brother and you're denying it."

"Yuki is the daughter of Haruka and Juri Kuran, there is no doubt of that. You are a second level vampire, you should be able to tell that she is a pureblood." Kaname said, standing up with Yuki in his arms. "You are also a hunter though and are on the side of those who hunt our kind, I will be protecting her now."

Zero stared after Kaname as the pureblood disappeared into the night. "That didn't answer my question though, what are you to her, really?" He questioned out loud, irritated by the way all pure bloods seemed to be able to avoid answering his questions.

* * *

"Hmm," humming inquisitively, Ken raised his head and let his gray eyes leave the sleeping form of the delicate woman on the bed and look to the curtained window to his left. Standing from the chair he had been resting in, he walked to the window and gently pushed aside the thick curtains. It was still dark outside, but dawn was quickly approaching. "So she's been awakened. The Kuran princess has returned."

A barely audible groan floated to his ears from the large bed behind him and Ken let the curtains drop back into place as he turned towards the sleeping woman. Her once peaceful face had twisted into an expression of pain and discomfort as her small hands clutched at the sheets and blankets that covered her. Another groan poured from the woman's throat and she turned her head to the side, her white hair falling into her face and her body fidgeting as she began to whimper.

Walking towards the bed, Ken sat down on the edge and shushed the whimpering girl, running a hand softly over the smooth, flawless skin of her cheek and pushing some of her soft hair behind her ear. "You must be quite thirsty," he said quietly when she groaned again.

Rolling up the sleeve of his shirt, Ken brought his wrist to his lips and bit in to his own flesh, letting his blood fill his mouth and the scent of it to fill the room. The girl in the bed writhed in discomfort and Ken gently placed his other hand on her cheek, letting his thumb stroke her flesh. When he pulled his wrist away from his mouth, he leaned over the fidgeting girl and placed his other hand on her face, keeping her from moving her face away from him as he brought his mouth down onto hers. Her lips were parted and Ken let his blood flow from his mouth into hers. The girl swallowed reflexively, letting the blood coat her parched throat.

Ken pulled away from the woman, wiping a thin line of blood from her chin as he did so. "Wake up... Reina."

The white haired woman gasped, taking in a deep breath, her sapphire eyes snapping open and her body arching slightly off the bed. She was breathing heavily as she blinked blankly at her surroundings, a hand rose and went to her throat and a small moan leaked from her pink lips.

"You must still be thirsty."

Startled, Reina's sapphire eyes flew open and she gazed at Ken in utter confusion.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked.

She did nothing but stare at him for a moment before she shook her head from side to side slowly and let her gaze go to his wrist where the two wounds he had inflicted on himself were healing.

"Are you thirsty?"

Swallowing, Reina nodded and let her eyes roam over the body of the man beside her as he pulled the collar of his shirt down to reveal the perfect curve of his neck where she could see the pulsing of his blood pumping through his veins. Reacting on instinct, Reina pushed herself up on the bed, the sheets falling away from her torso to reveal that she was in a thin nightgown of expensive black silk, one of its straps had fallen from her shoulders and Ken carefully replaced it as her arms made to wrap themselves around him as she brought her face towards him, her hot breath splashing against his neck and collar bone.

There was only a slight hesitation on Reina's part as her lips parted and she ran her tongue along the smooth surface of Ken's neck, but she pushed it aside when her throat tightened painfully in response to the musky scent of his blood beneath the surface of the taught skin. Her fangs pierced through his skin easily and she pressed her body further into his, letting her fingers curl, her nails dug into the flesh of his back as his blood filled her mouth and poured down her parched throat. A sigh of relief escaped from her throat as the pain in her throat and chest lessened considerably.

"That's a good girl," he whispered to her, one hand on the back of her head and the other on her back.

Removing her fangs from his neck when she felt that her thirst had been sated, Reina absently licked the small trail of blood that was leaking from his neck. Her tongue ran lightly against his flesh from his collarbone to the wounds she had inflicted upon him.

"You're quite forward, aren't you," Ken said, causing Reina to jolt in surprise and pull away from him.

She whimpered when the movement made her feel as if there was an ice pick repeatedly being thrust into her head. Pulling her knees to her chest and covering her face with her hands, Reina huddled on the bed and rocked herself slowly.

"You need to relax, the pain will subside soon. Do you remember anything, do you know who you are?"

Her head shook minutely, but she didn't look up at him.

"Reina Tsukina," Ken said and she stopped rocking herself to look up at him blankly. "That name is familiar to you, isn't it?"

Cocking her head to the side, Reina studied the man before her curiously. She couldn't remember much of anything at the moment and the feeling left her empty and confused.

"I'm Ken Takamora."

Her body stiffened and her breath hissed through her teeth as she sucked in a deep breath.

Ken laughed lightheartedly. "I take it you're familiar with my name too. You have no need to worry though, I'm not going to hurt you. Do you believe me?"

Her brows drawing together at the question and her lips pursing, she nodded once, slowly. "I..." She tried to speak, but she found that it was hard to speak, her throat was scratchy and aching with a thirst that was different from the one she had moments ago quenched.

"I'll get you some water," Ken offered, standing from the bed and turning his back to Reina who watched his every move as he filled an empty glass that had been on the small table by the chair he had been sitting in with water from a pitcher on the same table and brought it back to her. "Here you go," he said, holding the glass out to her.

She took it with a small nod of thanks and raised it to her lips, delicately sipping at the cool, clear liquid.

"Thank you," she said after several sips, her voice still sounded harsh, but the melodic tone wasn't lost entirely.

"Of course."

"I...all I can remember is darkness, there's faces that look familiar and names, but I can't grasp them. Why," she asked, a note of pleading to her voice as she stared up at Ken.

"Because I had to make you die," Ken answered evenly.

Sucking in a breath, Reina met his unwavering gaze uncertainly. "I don't understand."

"In order to save you, I had to kill you."

* * *

Yuki blinked her eyes open with a quiet groan of discomfort caused by the harshness of the lights in the room she was in. Raising a hand to cover her eyes, she jolted upright when a vision of a man with eyes of blue and crimson flashed through her mind.

"It's alright, you're safe," a soft, masculine voice reassured as a hand brushed over her hair.

"K-Kaname," she stuttered out, fixing her wide eyes on the man who was sitting beside her.

"Are you alright," he asked, running the backs of his fingers along her cheek.

"I..I am..."

"It's alright Yuki, I know what you want," Kaname said, pulling the small girl closer to him.

There was no hesitation as she lowered her head to his neck and bit him, hungrily gulping down the blood that flowed into her mouth. When she pulled away, she did so with a startled cry as visions of a smiling couple filled her mind.

"See anything interesting," Kaname asked, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"They're dead," she said shakily. "Mother and father are dead, but they were so strong, how could they-"

"Calm down Yuki," Kaname commanded softly as the walls behind Yuki began to crack.

The girl took in a deep breath and released it, with the released breath the window shattered, letting in a cool breeze that made the curtains dance.

"But...But...I..." Yuki couldn't seem to find the words she was looking for and clenched her eyes shut in frustration.

"Just relax, ask me whatever you'd like."

"I don't understand. You're my brother so why...why did you.."

"Ask you to be my lover," Kaname finished.

"Yes, why would you do that?"

"Because we are engaged so long as you still wish to be."

Shock replaced the confusion on Yuki's face as she stared at Kaname. "I've lived as a human for all these years and that's.."

"Something only beasts would do? That's right Yuki, we aren't human."

She shook her head fiercely, shutting her eyes tightly and letting her hands dig into the fabric of the sheets that covered the bed they were in.

"I'm not human, I know that, but I, I just can't."

"I've watched you forget everything for ten years. Now that you remember, do you wish to leave me all alone again Yuki," Kaname asked.

"No. No, you're not alone. Reina, you and her were-"

"Our engagement ended fifteen years ago, when Yuki was born. We both moved on, but that doesn't matter now, Reina is dead."

Yuki's brown eyes widened at the revelation and she was struck speechless.

"If you wish to be free of the engagement that Haruka and Juri Kuran placed on us, I will willingly let you go. I will not force you, if you do not love me."

Her eyes filling with sadness, knowing that the idea hurt Kaname, Yuki reached out to place a hand on his face. She didn't want to hurt him, her brother, and though she knew that their own parents had been siblings too, the idea of marrying her own brother was something that she couldn't stomach. She had spent most of her life up to now as a human that the ideals and standards of them were embedded into her. She knew in time they would likely fade, she could sense that the vampire side of herself would slowly devour it until there were no human traits left of her.

She understood now why she had been doubting her love for him, because she loved him in an entirely different way. She loved him as a brother, a friend, but not as a lover.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, tears slipping from her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

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Please review!


	5. Chapter 5 Not Alone

Disclaimer- I don't Vampire Knight

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**Chapter 5**

**Not Alone**

Takuma walked silently beside Rido, his eyes focused on the ground that was passing beneath his feet. Only moments before, the two had sensed Yuki's awakening and Takuma knew that that meant things would soon start to progress rapidly. He felt empty and cold as he walked beside the man who had ultimately been responsible for the death of the woman he loved and who would take the lives of others he cared about without hesitation and it was his duty to help him do so. He was desperately trying to keep himself from falling apart, he had yet to grieve for the loss of Reina and he wanted nothing more than to hurry along the path he had chosen. Killing his grandfather meant giving up his own life, but he didn't mind if that meant that his grandfather would never again be able to destroy the lives of innocent people like the poisonous monster he was.

"Your face tells me that you are dissatisfied," Rido said to the silent blond that was so obediently following beside him. "Is it because I want to make that little girl my prey, or because you betrayed Kaname? Or could it be because I'm holding Shiki's body hostage?"

Looking up at the words, Takuma's eyes widened as Shiki's hand was brought to his throat, his nails biting into his flesh. "Please stop," Takuma pleaded, grabbing the hand that was causing damage to his friend and wrenching it away from his neck.

"Why don't you come down here," Rido calmly ordered, shaking Takuma's hand from his borrowed limb and turning to face the pigtailed girl that was perched daintily on the brick wall to his right. "Rima."

"You aren't Shiki, are you," the girl accused, sliding off the wall to glide to the ground, her eyes fixed on Rido. "I won't let you get away with this."

Takuma worriedly looked between the two, Rima was poised for a fight and there was a feral grin on Shiki's face as the mismatched eyes leered at the girl hungrily.

* * *

Yuki stood at the broken window of Kaname's room, staring out into the night, her eyes wide and curious as she searched for the scent of blood that had pervaded the air seconds before. She didn't recognize it, but it made her feel ill at ease as she gripped the windowsill tightly before casting a quick glance back at the empty room. Her new heightened senses were making her a bit too sensitive to every little sound or smell and it was distracting her constantly.

Kaname had left a few minutes before, where he had gone or why, she didn't know and somehow felt that she didn't want to. There was something dark and sinister stirring nearby and it made her not want to stay in one place for long. She was also worried for the Day class students, she could sense that things at the Academy were soon to become less peaceful and much more violent. She felt useless sitting by herself in the large room with nothing to do and only her dark thoughts for company. Many of which centered around Zero and how he felt towards her now that they both knew what she truly was. She knew that she had no right to worry about him now, he hated her kind, he hunted her kind, but she couldn't help but hope that some part of him would accept her, after all he had seemed to accept Reina. Remembering the beautiful snowy haired girl, saddened Yuki, she knew that it was hurting Kaname and she had noticed the change in Zero's attitude, Aido's too. She had been loved and respected by just about everyone in the Night class and her death was hitting them very hard. Turning her attention back to the window, Yuki carefully pulled herself over the edge and leapt to the ground below with every intention of going to the Sun dorms to see Zero.

* * *

Kaname stood over an open black coffin. His hand resting on the chest of the man within it as he pulled the sword in his other hand back, prepared to plunge it through his flesh and that of the man in the coffin.

"Kaname!" Takuma cried, opening the door to the room that belonged to Shiki to see Kaname standing over the coffin, sword poised to strike. "What..what are.."

"Why are you so flustered Ichijo," Kaname inquired evenly. "No matter how many times I cut him, I can't deliver the final blow. So.. I thought that I should let him return to his original form."

Takuma set Shiki down on the bed, glancing at the motionless silver haired boy that was Ichiru Kiryu, Zero's twin who had also been assisting Rido and the Council. The boy merely stood back and watched without showing any emotion.

"Take it Rido, the thing that you want most. The thing that drove you mad with desire... the thickest blood of a Kuran," Kaname said before stabbing the shiny steel of the sword through his hand and into the body of the man in the coffin.

"Kaname..what do you mean by can't kill," Takuma asked uncertainly as he watched the blood of the two purebloods mix and begin to bubble. "No, that's not the question. I don't care if I live, but your life...Do pureblood's always do things so recklessly," he cried, stepping forward to try to pull Kaname away from Rido's true body, stopping when he realized that there was now an aura of life coming from the man in the coffin.

"To be awakened under such disgusting conditions," Kaname commented, more to himself than anyone else as he pulled the sword from his hand and stepped away from the coffin. "Don't worry, a chop on the head or heart will kill him," he said, noticing the surprise in Takuma's wide eyes as he stared at Rido's bubbling body.

"Then why can't you kill him," Ichiru asked.

Turning his attention to the Kiryu twin, Takuma blinked before shifting his attention to Kaname who was licking the blood from the cut to his hand.

"Because I am the ancestor of Kuran and he awoke me from grave," Kaname answered.

"Kaname, I-"

"You have nothing to answer for Ichijo, I need to go, I still have some preparations to complete before tonight," Kaname cut in and then swept elegantly from the room.

* * *

Reina sat at a high square table of beautiful dark wood, Ken sat across from her, his posture much more relaxed and at ease than hers as she listened to him speak. She had changed out of the nightgown into a pair of black slacks and a black cowl necked long sleeved shirt, there was a necklace resting on her chest, a black diamond carved to resemble a blooming rose which she kept running her fingers over absently as Ken talked.

"It wasn't as easy as I had hoped, but I managed. What I did was similar to what Juuri Kuran did for her daughter. She put the vampiric side of Yuki to sleep, I killed your vampiric side, mostly, so that your aura would disappear. I ran into a few problems when I went to reawaken you, it seems that I wasn't the first one to try and kill part of you," Ken explained. "I had suspected as much, but very powerful magic had been used and it took a little while to release the old spells that had been placed on you and fully reawaken you."

Reina's emotionless eyes narrowed minutely. "What do you mean," she asked blankly. In the few hours since she had awoken, she had remembered most of her past, there were still a few blurry spots, but they were getting clearer as time wore on. So was her anger.

"It always struck me as odd that after my brother bit you, he didn't seem to get any stronger and that you couldn't beat him in a fight. You should have been the stronger of the two, your blood should hold more power, but for some reason you didn't seem to possess the power that you should have. Both of your parents were incredibly powerful as you know and their families were considered to be almost as strong as the Kuran's, you would think that their combined blood would produce an heir that could rival both their lines and possibly match the Kuran's, wouldn't you?"

"Yes, but in this case, it's only my blood that holds any power, not me," Reina replied, sipping at the red beverage in front of her.

"Wrong," Ken answered, causing Reina to look up sharply. "If your blood was as strong as it should be then why didn't my worthless excuse for a brother get any more powerful after taking some from you?"

"He nearly drained me, he had to have gotten at least a little stronger."

"No. Like I said, someone had already tampered with you before I had. Someone used very strong magic to hide how strong you truly are and so he didn't gain anything from taking your blood."

"But that makes no sense. I gave my blood to Zero too, he got stronger."

"That's probably because he was a human turned vampire and regardless of how weak your blood was, it was still pure. Over time, it's likely it would have become ineffective."

"But...Why," Reina asked disbelievingly. "Why would someone intentionally weaken me?"

"Because you were _too_ strong. You could probably evenly match a Kuran, Reina, and easily. My guess is that your parents were trying to protect you by weakening the potency of your blood. After all, they were on the Kuran's side and if someone were to get a hold of you, it could prove quite a problem for them if you were turned against them, especially Kaname, it's probably also the reason you were betrothed to him. You can remember how strong you were before, can't you," Ken inquired.

She nodded slowly. "I can."

"Do you feel any different now?"

There was something in the way that he was looking at her that made Reina feel as if there was some hidden meaning to his words that she was missing. Taking a moment to assess the way she felt before answering, she searched for any major difference. Frowning, she answered, "Yes, I feel like I'm not the same person as I was then. I can also no longer sense any familiar auras, everything feels new."

"In a way, it is. It will take some getting used to, you'll have to relearn a lot of things, but others should come more natural to you. Is that it?" He asked curiously.

Reina's eyes examined the chiseled features of the dark haired man and scrutinized the gray eyes that were staring back at her evenly. She got the distinct sense that he was hiding something from her even though she could find no hint of it anywhere in his eyes or body language.

"There's something you're not telling me, isn't there?"

Ken's face remained impassive, he was excellent at hiding his emotions and what he was thinking. "I don't know that now is the time to tell you."

"Why did you help me," Reina asked evenly, her sapphire eyes scrutinizing the man across from her. Everything about him seemed sincere and honest and he didn't strike her to be anything like his family.

"My father is a vile man, my brother was no better. They are controlled by the last of the remaining elders of our clan as well as the Council, as I technically am also, but I don't agree with what they are doing. Rido is a monster that should not be allowed to live and I do believe that vampires can live in peace with humans, they do not. They view humans as little more than insects and deem themselves as beings akin to Gods. There's not much that I alone can do, but you, you may be able to do so much more than I could ever hope to," Ken answered, his eyes and tone telling Reina that he wasn't lying.

"So you want my help," Reina replied. "With what exactly?"

"Kaname has already made his move, he has awoken Yuki and it won't be long before he awakens Rido-"

"What? Why would he awaken that monster when he can't kill him," Reina exclaimed, showing the most emotion she had so far.

"You don't know," he asked and he seemed surprised by the fact as he looked at Reina.

"Know what?"

"Zero Kiryu, Kaname has been raising him to deal with the threat of Rido. My sources say that Kiryu drank the blood of Kaname on the same day that I supposedly killed you. All that's left is for him to consume his twin, the fragment of himself that he's missing and he will be-"

"The strongest hunter," Reina finished grimly.

"I'm surprised that you hadn't put the pieces together already Reina. Kaname has been planning to use Kiryu from the start," Ken told her.

Reina frowned, looking down at the dark grains of the wood of the table. "I guess I'm not entirely surprised. Everything that he did makes more sense now, he didn't want me getting too attached to Zero because he felt that I wouldn't agree with what he had planned for him. He really is a fool and he underestimates me. As much as Zero has already gone through at the hands of our kind, I know that there is no way anyone else would have been able to kill Rido. It's unfortunate, but Kaname used what was at his disposal."

"Rido will not win against Zero if the boy takes all that is his. After that, all Kaname has to do is get rid of the Council and he will be the ruler of our race, as he should be. However, the road will not be an easy one, the hunter's association will take this act as an act of madness and those that support the Council will rally against him. He will be hunted as will Yuki and anyone who helps him."

Reina said nothing as she stared at the shimmering diamond ring on her left hand. The consequences for anyone who dared to go against the Council would be severe, even if the Council no longer existed, there would always be those who supported them and there would always be hunters to list them as uncontrollable menaces and hunt them. Kaname was playing a very dangerous game and the lives of many others were at stake.

She was worried for Takuma, she knew he was being forced to do his grandfather's bidding, Ken had said as much and she knew that it must be eating at him to have to betray Kaname. He must also blame himself for her being taken away to be used as a pawn. Her thoughts also wandered to Hanabusa and Kaname, curious as to how they would have reacted to her disappearance. A thought suddenly struck her then and she tilted her head to the side, her brows drawing together.

"You had to make my aura disappear to make everyone believe I was dead...But what about now, I can be sensed, can't I?" She asked worriedly.

"Yes, but your aura is not the same. No one who knows you will recognize it," Ken answered.

Reina paled. "Everyone thinks I'm dead. Takuma, Hana, Kaname.."

"Yes," Ken replied. "It was the only way to protect you. My father would have killed you and I couldn't let that happen."

She opened her mouth to reply when there was a strange shift in the atmosphere and she could sense the distant aura of another pureblood, the exact location was too far to pinpoint. Ken had sensed it as well and his posture suddenly became more stiff.

"He's awake."

"I need to go," Reina said abruptly, standing from the table.

"Where," Ken asked her calmly, remaining in his seat as he tilted his head to look up at her evenly.

"To the Academy. They'll need me and Takuma...He thinks I'm dead, he'll blame himself and I'm afraid he'll do something rash. I can't let that happen," she replied frantically.

"Do you even know where you're going?"

Reina froze, her eyes widening. She closed her eyes and focused on trying to find a familiar aura, any familiar aura, but she couldn't and her head fell into her chest.

"No," she whispered. "I can't sense anyone anymore, it's like everything I sense is unknown to me."

"You can't go alone. You shouldn't go alone. Once word gets out that you're alive, you'll be hunted by my family, as will I. Our only option is to stick together and I will gladly protect you and go wherever you wish with you," Ken told her with a warm smile.

"Why," she asked quietly.

His smile grew as he stood up. "The reasons are partially selfish. I will be signing my own death warrant once we walk out that door and I'm no match for my family alone. You will be hunted too, but for different reasons. You are being held responsible for Michael's death and you are also a threat to them, and they know it. My family has put you through a lot, at least let me do what I can to show you that not all of us are cold hearted monsters. I also think that you can make a difference in our world and I'd like to do what I can to support you."

"What are you hiding from me? If you want me to trust you, then you can at least tell me that much," Reina pointed out.

Ken sighed and made no attempt to answer her, instead he walked towards Reina, she was regarding him closely, almost suspiciously as he stepped behind her and took her hands in his. It was where he placed them and what he then quietly said to her that made her eyes widen and her breath hitch in her throat. Her knees buckled, but Ken caught her effortlessly, he had anticipated this reaction which had been part of the reason why he had stepped behind her.

"Do you see now," Ken asked Reina, who was trembling in his arms, her eyes still wide and disbelieving. "You need my protection, both of you."

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Please review!


	6. Chapter 6 Return

Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight

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**Chapter 6**

**Return  
**

There were several advantages to being a vampire and a pureblooded one at that. Traveling long distances quickly was fairly easy, you simply let your body become nothing more than particles in the air that you could reform at will.

It wasn't until Ken and Reina neared the forests of Cross Academy that they both let their bodies reform, at first appearing as strange red droplets like blood and then a writhing, floating mass of the same substance that quickly changed into the forms of both people.

"All of the human students are still at the Academy, I can sense them. There's a large number of former human vampires in the area too, some nobles and I can sense two purebloods and..something else," Reina said quietly, her eyes narrowed thoughtfully as she looked into the distance, her hair floating around her like a halo in the light early morning breeze that stirred the leaves of the trees.

"The something else would likely be Kiryu," Ken told her, he too was staring into the trees between them and the Academy. "There's quite a few hunters too, a little way from the Academy."

A frown pulled at Reina's lips. "I can't tell who's who, where is Takuma, can you tell?"

Ken kept his eyes in front of him, glad that Reina was too distracted by the numerous auras that she was desperately trying to recognize, to look at him. He was excellent at hiding his true feelings and emotions, he had years of practice after all, but he didn't want to lie to Reina, she had been through enough on account of his family.

"He isn't here," he finally answered monotonously.

She tore her sapphire gaze from the horizon to turn her attention to Ken, he was frowning openly and not looking at her. The dark hair of his ponytail was dancing in the wind and the fabric of his unbuttoned dark gray coat fluttered with it as well.

"What do you mean he isn't here," Reina asked slowly.

Ken turned his gray eyes to meet hers. "He isn't here, Reina. Neither is Kaname, but your other friends are and so are those hunters, there's only two people standing up to the lot of them and they are using the Council's dogs as well as former humans to do their work."

Her attention turned back to the miles of trees and hills before her, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. When she released the breath and opened her eyes, she smiled over at Ken. "I suppose we should help them then, shouldn't we?"

"As you wish," he answered, a small smile on his own face as he inclined his head towards her ever so slightly.

A sudden rush of wind disturbed the quiet of the small grove they had been standing in, causing little tornadoes to stir the leaves on the ground and make the grass sway. When the wind died down and the leaves and dust settled, Reina and Ken were nowhere to be seen.

* * *

Two men stood before a large group of people in a bright, green portion of forest. One had long dark blond hair and a beautiful gleaming serrated sword held in front of him with such grace it seemed to be an extension of himself. The dark haired man beside him held no weapon, but there were several guns strapped to his body beneath the long leather coat he wore.

"Our society has decided that the villains responsible for this little mess are those of the Night class and we are here to deal with them accordingly," the mocking voice of the current president of the Hunter's association said from behind the fan that was being used to hide the smile on the much too pale face that was surrounded by white hair that had been fashioned into an elaborate updo. Expensive, thick furs and gawdy jewelry also covered the woman's body.

"So you're going to kill innocent vampires again," the dark haired man growled.

"The Day class is being protected by the Night class," the blond man said calmly, his stance never faltering. "I will protect the Night class."

"And just who will protect you," a soft voice asked in a tone that was almost laughing, it startled everyone in the woods, who couldn't see its source. "Because honestly, this buffoon probably won't be much help."

The dark haired man whirled around, the voice had been directly behind him and the arrogant, powerful aura of a pureblood was unmistakable. A gun was drawn and raised in a split second, pressed to the temple of the woman that materialized before him. There was another aura, quickly approaching, but the blond man responded to that one, by gracefully spinning the hilt of his sword in his hand so that blade was pointing behind him and pressed lightly to the neck of the man that had been trying to approach his friend.

"Really, is that anyway to greet an old friend," Reina sighed, smirking as she looked up at Yagari whose one visible eye widened in shock.

"Reina," Cross said in surprise.

She raised a hand to wiggle her fingers at him and smile. "Hello Cross. Would you mind removing your blade from Ken's neck, he means no harm, promise. Miss me," she chirped, grinning at Yagari.

"No, it was actually quiet without you around, it was nice," Yagari complained, putting his gun away and scratching at his stubbly cheek.

"You're supposed to be dead," the heavily clothed president snapped.

Reina's eyes narrowed and she let her eyes slide from Yagari to the woman behind him. "Yes well, as you can see, I'm not."

"What did you do, Takamora," the woman demanded. "You will pay-"

"The only one who will be paying madam president," Reina hissed mockingly. "Is you."

"Reina," Cross warned.

Yagari put an arm in front of the pureblood whose angry eyes flashed up to him. "You shouldn't be involved in this fight. Let us take care of this, you go and help the others. They would like to know you're alive."

"You are aware of what she is, and what she has at her disposal, aren't you," Reina asked coldly, her eyes going to Cross.

The man nodded solemnly. "I am, but you should go Reina. This isn't the place for you to be right now."

"Take care of yourself Yagari, I don't want to have to come back and rescue you," Reina sang. "You'd be in the debt of a pureblood, never a good thing," she teased lightly with a wink.

"Just go away," Yagari snorted.

"Lets go," Reina said to Ken, her voice losing all notes of playfulness and becoming serious.

Their destination this time was the Academy itself where several conflicts were already taking place, but Rido had not yet been challenged. Reina stood in the shadow of the trees that surrounded the Sun Dorms before she decided to step out and assist a small group of Night class students that were fighting against several strangely dressed vampires she didn't recognize. There was a flare of fire and Reina knew immediately that Kain was one of the students and usually where Kain was, Aido wasn't far behind and that thought made a smile tilt her lips skyward.

Stepping out of the trees, Reina walked towards the group that was fighting in front of the girl's dorm building, Ken not far behind her, ready to make a move if he needed to. Sensing her, there was a small break in the fighting and the attacking vampires all turned to look at Reina, the Night students' vision was blocked by their attackers and then by their blood as their bodies were shredded by visible white blades of spinning wind. Reina continued to walk forward, ignoring the droplets of blood that fell, but never touched her. The eyes of the Night students all widened as she approached and stopped before them, her face blank before her lips curled into a soft smile that they all recognized.

It took a moment, but when they all realized it was indeed Reina that stood before them, they all sank into deep bows.

"There's no need for that right now," Reina told them gently. "Where are Kaname and Takuma? I need to find them."

Kain looked up at her, hearing the urgency in her voice, his eyes widened in understanding. "They..they don't know you're alive?"

She shook her head, her hair swishing around her. "No, no one knew but him," she said, nodding towards Ken who was now at her side.

"Isn't he-"

"A Takamora? Yes, he is," Reina answered before Kain could even finish his question. "There's no need to worry though, he's no threat. Where are Kaname and Takuma?"

"Kaname has left... for the Council, I don't know where Ichijo went, he just said he had something he had to do," Kain answered.

"I see. And Aido, where is he," she asked.

"At the Moon Dorms," Kain answered, somewhat confused.

"I can sense everyone's aura, but they aren't familiar to me anymore. I need to relearn them, it's bit frustrating," Reina explained with a sigh, shifting her gaze to the nearby dormitories. "Hana," she whispered when she saw a blond boy on the roof, facing two vampires who she knew were not from the Night class. She disappeared an instant later, speeding to where Aido was, he dealt with the two on the roof easily, it was when he approached the gaping hole in the same roof that there was a problem as his eyes looked down to lock with the mismatched eyes of the dark haired man below him.

"You are Rido Kuran-sama..."

"I've had enough appetizers, but you seem worth eating," the dark haired Rido said, lifting one of his arms towards the blonde above him. His eyes narrowed when someone appeared in front of the boy, keeping him from falling to the arms that would have happily taken his life. "Well, well, what have we here? A ghost?"

Aido gasped as a woman appeared in front of him, her long white hair tickling his face as the wind blew it back at him, along with a light and familiar scent. His eyes studied the woman's back and the arm that was held out to her side. There was no familiar aura, but there was no doubt that the woman before him was not only a pureblood, but a woman they all had believed to be dead. She was dressed entirely in black, her heeled boots, her slacks, her top and even the long peacoat she wore, were all black.

"Reina-sama," Aido muttered, his blue eyes full of hope.

"Did I make you worry Hana, I'm sorry," Reina replied, partially turning so that she could smile warmly over her shoulder at him.

"You should move away from here Reina, you are in no condition to fight that monster," Ken said, appearing on the corner of the roof and walking towards her.

"I'm not going anywhere," she replied, her eyes locked on the blue and crimson orbs that were smirking at her hungrily. "Hana, get out of here. I'll deal with this."

"But Reina-"

"Reina?"

Turning her head just enough to see the girl who had spoken, a smile formed on Reina's face. "Hello Yuki, it's nice to see you've remembered who you are, but you should not-"

"Reina," Ken shouted as the woman spun around to grab Aido and leap away from the broken roof just as fluid tentacles of a red substance shot out at her.

"I'm fine," she assured him, landing beside him and releasing Aido. "Hana, you need to get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you," he protested stubbornly.

"He can--move!" she shouted, pushing Aido away from her, sending him tumbling over the edge of the roof before she leapt over the numerous vines that shot past where they had all been standing. "What is that?"

"We're about to find out," Ken answered, landing beside her a few yards behind Yuki and the mass of writhing vines.

The vines grouped together just a few feet in front of Rido, looking like some twisted version of the fairy tale beanstalk that a naïve child had planted. As the vines parted and drew away from the body they had shielded, Reina gasped, her eyes widening in incomprehension as she saw the familiar silver hair of the school prefect who she had given her blood to on several occasions.

"Zero?"

Even though her voice was barely above a whisper, the boy turned his narrowed and hate filled lavender eyes on her, the intensity of the look made her flinch involuntarily. He looked as if he had wanted to kill her, but then his eyes lightened, barely, but they did and he uttered her name, not even realizing he had done so.

The entire world seemed to freeze for both Reina and Zero as they stared into each other's eyes. They were both clearly surprised, Zero to see Reina alive and Reina to see Zero in such a state with vines attached to his body. Reina could see the hate in Zero's eyes, she could feel it in the air and most of all she could tell that it was directed at not just Rido, but every other vampire on the roof at that moment. In that moment he wanted nothing more than to kill every one of them. Gasping, she jolted out of the uncomfortable moment and stumbled back a step, a hand unconsciously going to her stomach. A move she would soon regret.

Zero couldn't help but to stare in shock at the flawless white haired woman that was staring right back at him with surprise. He was confused about how she could be alive, there was no trace of her aura, but there was no doubt that it was her. Her aura was different now, somehow it seemed stronger, darker, but that wasn't it, there was something else he couldn't quite grasp. It wasn't until she gasped, taking a step back and putting a hand to her stomach that something seemed to click in his head and a pang of guilt washed over him. He had frightened her. Again.

The guilt only made him angrier than he already was. He still couldn't understand how he couldn't find it in himself to hate her, she was not only a vampire, but a pureblood. Her kind had ruined his life, his brother's life, the entire fate of the Kiryu's had been ruined by her kind. Yet, he still couldn't hate her. Even her rejection of him couldn't make him hate her.

The silence that had descended over him washed away, replaced by the whistling of the wind and the quiet, dark chuckle that escaped Rido as he focused on Reina, the hint of a smirk on his lips. Zero's jaw clenched and his eyes narrowed. If he couldn't hate her, then he would do something else.

He would protect her. After all, he owed her.

Ken glanced to the side to make sure Reina was alright, but upon hearing the dark, echoing chuckle that spilled from Rido's throat, he turned his gray eyes back to the taller and older man before him. He didn't even think about what he was doing before spinning around to grab Reina around the waist and leaping off the roof seconds before there was a loud crash as Zero blocked Rido's attempted assault on Reina, the vines that were attached to his right arm moving at his command to stop the pureblood from trying to use the bottom portion of his body, which had taken on a liquid like state, from shooting out at her.

"What are you doing," Reina protested, pushing Ken away from her and trying to leap back on to the roof.

"Wait," Ken demanded, grabbing a secure hold of her wrist and ignoring the jolt of electricity that shot up his arm as she spun around to face him again, her eyes narrowed and her fangs peeking out from behind her pink lips.

"Reina!" Aido was running towards them a worried look on his face when he felt the immense difference in her aura now that she was angry.

"I can't just leave her up there alone!" Reina snapped. "And Zero, he may be a lot stronger, but Rido is a monster, he will kill them and I don't intend on letting that happen!" She jerked her hand from his grasp and turned around prepared to jump the several stories back to the roof. The sounds of fighting and shouting had reached her and she didn't want to leave Zero and Yuki to the mercy of the vicious thing they were fighting alone.

"Think about your child," Ken said simply, quietly.

Reina froze, her eyes widening and her breath catching in her throat.

"C-child," Aido stuttered, blinking at Ken before shifting his blue eyes to Reina's back, her head had dropped slightly and the angry aura she had been given off had been replaced by one of confusion and helplessness.

"Yes," Ken answered softly. "Reina is carrying Takuma Ichijo's child and she just betrayed that fact to a man who has no morals and would use that knowledge to his advantage somehow. He wouldn't kill you Reina, not right away, and you know it. If you go back up there, you run the risk of not only hurting yourself, but your child and every single person who cares about you."

"That's not fair," Reina whispered, her voice shaking as her fists clenched and she stared at the ground beneath her. "How am I supposed to help if I can't fight? I came here to help them..."

"So did I," Ken replied, reassuringly laying a hand on her shoulder.

Reina looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes widening slightly.

"You can help Reina, but you shouldn't put yourself in so much danger by trying to fight with Rido. I will help them if you wish it, but you shouldn't go near him," Ken told her gently.

Reina went quiet for a moment before lifting her head at the sound of a girl's scream. She saw that Yuki was falling from the roof just a few yards away, Aido let out a startled and confused grunt before rushing over to try and catch her, only to have her land on her feet, on his back.

"Move," Reina muttered quietly, lifting a hand, palm facing towards Ken and allowing a small pulse of energy to leave her body and hit him square in the chest.

Being that he had been distracted by Yuki's near fall and her rather odd landing, he never saw the blow coming and was caught off guard. His feet were suddenly no longer beneath him and he was flying backwards through the air, in a moment he had righted himself, crouching in the grass and preparing to rush back to Reina's side as the white haired girl stared upwards there was a loud cracking sound and then the building only feet in front of the girl broke apart in a plume of dust and debris that hid her from view. Yuki, too, was nowhere to be seen.

"Reina!" Aido shouted.

Ken stared at the place she had been, waiting for the smoke and debris to settle. What he saw when it did was nothing like what he had expected. Yuki stood in the center of the rubble, her weapon held in one hand, the curved blade had pierced through Rido's back as he had leaned over her from behind. Reina was taking the opportunity to attack him while he was distracted. She simply waved a hand in the direction of his head and a large flat circle of white wind began to spin towards him, but it never hit its target.

There was a loud crash as a column of writhing, twisted and thorny vines fell upon Rido. Silence descended over the area for several moments before the sound of tiny cracks was heard from within the mass of vines. There was then the sound of something shattering and thousands of tiny red crystals exploded into the air behind Yuki.

All Reina could do was blink at the vines as they retreated, leaving Yuki unscathed and in a state of shock. The vines returned to Zero, forming the barrel of his now deformed and monstrous Bloody Rose. Her head tilted to the side curiously, there was the scent of blood on the air, it wasn't heavy but it was there none the less. When Yuki went to walk forward, but stopped in her tracks, Reina looked up at Zero to see several things that she had never expected. He was pointing Bloody Rose at Yuki and he seemed to be thinking seriously about pulling the trigger, then there was the fact that the vines of the strange weapon were not only attached to his arm and shoulder, but several were at his neck and it was these vines that were drinking their hosts' blood.

"Zero?" Yuki asked questioningly.

"Why aren't you moving," he growled, closing his eyes and turning his head away for a moment but not lowering his gun.

Reina choose to stay back, she knew he wouldn't pull the trigger. He couldn't kill Yuki, a girl who had done so much for him in the past and had always been his friend. It was when a new aura, that of a pureblood, caught her attention that she decided to move.

Without thinking, Reina walked past Yuki, blocking Zero's shot and then continuing to walk towards him with no readable expression on her face until she was standing right in front of him and the barrel of his gun was only inches from her chest. He scowled at her, but lowered the gun.

"Let go of the gun, Zero," she said calmly, placing a hand over the silver barrel that the vines had moved away from and ignoring the pain of the shocks that were being sent up her arm as she touched the anti-vampire weapon.

"Why is the Bloody Rose drinking his blood," Yuki asked in confusion and possibly fear as she walked up behind Reina.

"Because it's no longer just a simple gun, it never really was," Reina replied.

"But-"

"Let go," Reina urged, cutting off Yuki's questioning. When he made no move to release the weapon, Reina frowned before wrapping her fingers around the barrel securely and pulling it from his grasp with a pained cried and then letting it clatter to ground as the vines disappeared, recoiling and returning to the gun that lay on the ground beside her. "Yuki?"

"Huh?" The young girl answered, jolting out of her thoughts as she had stared at Zero.

"Would you go and check on Ken for me please, I'm afraid I may have hurt him," Reina asked.

"Uh, ok," Yuki replied hesitantly, casting a glance at Zero before walking off.

"Don't you dare," Reina hissed at Zero as he went to grab his Bloody Rose. "And you," she growled, standing up as a sharp wind kicked up around her and Zero. "Should know better than to attack someone without a weapon."

There was a loud screech as a thick, curved blood red blade collided with an invisible barrier in front of Reina and another person appeared behind Zero. The man's crimson eyes widened as they locked on Reina's unmistakable sapphire eyes.

"Reina?"

"Hello Kaname."

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Please review!


	7. Chapter 7 Shattered

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight, yay me!

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**Chapter 7**

**Shattered **

Folding her arms over her chest and leaning back onto her heels, Reina eyed Kaname coolly. The brown haired vampire had stepped back, removing the horrifically sharp blade of the weapon he had let his right hand form into and then letting the hand morph back to its original state. She could see the emotions behind his normally guarded crimson eyes. Relief, disbelief, happiness, uncertainty. He didn't know what to make of the woman standing before him and it made a small smirk pull up a corner of her pink lips and one of her eyebrows raise in amusement.

"It would be nice if everyone stopped attacking me. I understand I'm supposed to be dead, but really," Reina said with an exaggerated eye roll. "That's no reason to try and kill me, not that you could, but still, it's stressing out poor Ken over there." She waved a hand at Ken who was standing beside Yuki a few yards away looking rather tense and serious as he eyed Kaname. "Don't," she hissed suddenly, turning her attention to Zero who was still sitting amongst the debris, his head tilted to the side so that he could see Kaname out of the corner of his eye as he reached for the gun at Reina's feet.

"If he wants to die so badly, I'll gladly-"

"You'll do nothing," Reina cut in, giving Kaname a cold look and then turning back to Zero. "I saw the look in your eyes earlier Zero, you want to kill him, don't you? At the time you wanted to kill me too, didn't you? But...You protected me instead, blocking Rido's attack on me even as Ken was already moving to protect me. You're not the monster you think you are. The race you loathe so much is the same one that just protected every human here voluntarily, the same race that I belong to and I've never done anything but try and help you in anyway I could. You have a choice before you, Zero. Either continue down the path you're on and get your revenge, but remember that revenge will only breed more hate and you'll leave someone in the same state as you. Can you do that? You can also choose to make a difference by not killing, take a page out of your teacher's book and Cross', they don't kill needlessly. Anymore anyway. Don't let Rido control your fate anymore, it's in your hands now Zero, do something useful with it or...I'll kill you myself if you try to hurt anyone I love, please don't make me do that Zero. I don't want to hurt you."

Zero couldn't even look up at her as she spoke, he clenched his fists and smashed his teeth together and chose to glare at the ground beneath him. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to grab the gun that was only inches away and turn around to shoot Kaname, but he was well aware that Reina hadn't lied. She would kill him, easily, and she would feel guilt for it. He couldn't hate her, he couldn't have her and he couldn't for the life of him figure out why he couldn't make himself pick up the gun at her feet as his body screamed at him to kill the pureblood behind him.

"Get away from me," he finally hissed through his clenched teeth, his voice shaking with his pent up anger and rage.

Reina didn't say anything, but she did nod before stepping around Zero to walk up to Kaname who hadn't taken his eyes off of her, she smiled at him and then walked towards where Ken, Yuki and now Aido were gathered several yards away with him following after her. "There's a lot to talk about, but where is Takuma?"

Kaname couldn't entirely hide the flicker of regret that flashed through his crimson eyes and Reina stumbled back a step, unsettled by it, only to have Ken appear at her side, a hand on her back and one on her shoulder, steadying her.

She could feel her chest tighten painfully as she waited for Kaname to give her a reply that he seemed unwilling to give. "Where is he Kaname," she demanded shakily.

"He's with his grandfather," Kaname replied evenly.

"I..I don't understand."

"I had planned on dealing with Ichio after the rest of the Council, but before I could, Ichijo interrupted. He-"

"You didn't leave him there. Please tell me you didn't leave him there alone, Kaname." Reina was shaking her head from side to side, tears forming in her eyes as she tried to convince herself that Ichijo wouldn't be so stupid as to take on his grandfather on his own, but knowing that he would have felt it was his duty, his responsibility to deal with the man that had been responsible for so much pain and suffering... and her death. She didn't wait for an answer, her body erupted into a shower of sparkling dust like crystals and a sharp wind blew through the area, taking her with them.

"Reina," Aido protested, but it was too late, she was already gone.

"Yuki, we need to go now," Kaname said to her, his eyes on the spot where Reina had just been standing.

"But..."

Finally glancing at her, he saw that her gaze was drawn toward Zero. He felt a spike of anger, but held it back. "Say your goodbyes then, but you no longer belong here, Yuki, you know that."

Yuki nodded sadly before slowly approaching Zero.

"As for you," Kaname said, speaking to Ken who regarded him calmly. "Reina seems to trust you, but I don't think you can be of much help to her right now."

"You're right," Ken answered. "She needs someone she loves by her side. I can look after your sister, I give you my word that nothing will happen to her, and we'll join you as soon as she's finished saying goodbye."

Kaname nodded and without sparing a glance for Aido or anyone else that was approaching, he disappeared.

The blue eyed Aido could only frown helplessly as he looked over at Ken, the dark haired man's gray eyes were watching Yuki intently as she talked with Zero. He then cast a quick glance over his shoulder at the other approaching vampires, his cousin included.

"You should stop them from getting too curious, Kiryu is no shape to be surrounded by the very race he's struggling to either hate or accept," Ken spoke quietly, his eyes never leaving Yuki as the young girl nodded and began to turn away from her long time friend.

Feeling there was little point in arguing, Aido turned away to do as Ken suggested and keep the others away from the volatile Kiryu. He hadn't gotten far when he sensed Yuki and Ken's auras suddenly fade and begin to move away from the Academy rapidly. Sighing, the blond looked around. The Academy was in varying states of ruin, there were fire blackened walls and spots of concrete, broken buildings and cracked sidewalks, uprooted trees and smashed windows everywhere. It was surprising that the whole place hadn't been destroyed in all of the different battles that had been fought, he realized then that everyone must have used caution in order to try and salvage as much of the place as they could. It had been their home for several years now and they had grown fairly attached to it. There was also the fact that the human students were all huddled together in their dorms and if those were destroyed then the humans likely would have been too and that was what they were trying to prevent. It showed just how much they had all grown to accept the very beings so many of them had always loathed or thought of as nothing more than worthless and expendable.

"Hanabusa, where did Kaname-sama and the others go," Akatsuki asked as he got close.

"I don't know," he mumbled. "Reina disappeared after hearing that Ichijo went to deal with his grandfather alone, I can only guess that Kaname-sama, Yuki-sama and Takamora-sama all went after her."

"Reina-sama is alive?" Ruka asked, she hadn't been with the group that had seen her earlier and had had no idea that she was alive.

Aido nodded. "I don't know how exactly, but she is and she's...."

"She's what," Akatsuki pressed.

"Nothing," Aido replied. "It's nothing." He thought back to when he learned that Reina was pregnant and the look that he had seen in her eyes several times that day. She was happy, even as she had stood against Rido, there had been a hope in her eyes, it made him think everything would be okay. But now as he stared off into the distance, he had a feeling that things had just gotten worse, but not for all of them, just for Reina. The news that Ichijo had gone to face his grandfather alone was unexpected, it was well known that though Ichijo was strong, his grandfather was stronger, he wouldn't survive a fight with the older and more skilled vampire and he had to have known that, Ichijo may be odd, but he wasn't stupid.

* * *

Reina fell to her knees in front of a burning building, she could feel the heat of the blaze kissing her face as the long tendrils or red and orange writhed only a few feet away from her. Her eyes scanned everything, but she could see no sign of anyone in the massive fire that had engulfed the wing of the large mansion that had housed Ichio's study, the same wing where she could smell blood, lots of it and from more than one person. Her hands were limp at her sides as she struggled to breathe and ignore the ache that was forming in her chest and the lump that was growing in her throat. She refused to cry, she chose to cling desperately to the hope that the blood she had smelled didn't belong to Takuma and that he hadn't been in the building when the blaze had started.

"Reina." Kaname had appeared behind her, his crimson eyes assessing everything critically and slowly a frown appeared on his face and he crouched beside the woman who looked so fragile and as if she were about to break into hundreds of pieces.

"Tell me he's not here...That he wasn't here," Reina pleaded, her eyes never leaving the hypnotizing movement of the flames.

"I can't sense him," Kaname replied quietly.

Stifling a sob, Reina stood up shakily, brushing off Kaname's hand as he tried to help her. Taking a shaky breath, Reina focused on the flames and with nothing more than twitch of her fingers the entire blaze was suddenly snuffed out like it had been nothing more than a single small candle flame. What little smoke this had caused was cleared by a small breeze and once it was gone, Reina began to walk forward, carefully stepping around fallen stones and pieces of the now almost entirely gutted wing of the manor.

She felt the arrival of Yuki and Ken, but paid them no heed as she made her way through the wreckage, her keen eyes searching for something, anything that could tell her whether Takuma had been here and what had happened to him. There was so much going through her mind that she never noticed Kaname following after her, prepared to do whatever he needed to, whether it be hold her, or protect her from whatever may still be lingering here.

She was having a hard time making anything out in the charred mess that was Ichio's office, everything was covered in soot or burnt beyond recognition. It was a small glint of something shiny that caught her attention and she quickly made her way towards the object that lay forgotten on the floor.

Moving aside bits and pieces of the battered and burnt walls and roof, Reina gasped when she realized what the glint had been from. Steel. A beautifully made katana with the smoothest blade and a hilt that looked as if it had at one point been wrapped in green lay discarded on the ground. It only took her a moment to recognize it as the very one that Takuma had shown her several times before, it was his preferred and prized weapon.

'He could have left it purposely. It doesn't mean anything,' she kept repeating the last sentence over and over again in her head as she leaned down to pick up the katana whose blade was miraculously unharmed.

As she was straightening, another small object caught her attention only a few inches from where the katana had lain. A small circular object.

Reina's eyes widened and her body began to tremble as she reached a shaky hand towards the soot coated object. Picking it up and dusting off the band that was no doubt Takuma's engagement ring Reina felt her legs give out and tears fill her eyes.

She was caught before she could fall into the black mess that surrounded her, strong arms wrapped around her and gently lifted her up as her entire world blurred and lost all color before becoming mind numbingly dark.

* * *

"You're going to leave her? After all that has happened today, she is going to need someone she knows by her side. That person is not me," Ken protested sternly as Kaname sat in a rich brown leather chair behind an organized desk in a room lined with bookshelves, he seemed unaffected as he stared at Ken, his cheek resting against the backs of his fisted fingers.

"He..He's right Kaname," Yuki stuttered. She wasn't used to addressing him so familiarly, but it hardly seemed right to address him any other way now that she knew he was her brother and only remaining family. She fidgeted nervously as his gaze traveled to her, her hands tugging at the fabric of the red skirt she had been given by the servants.

"We don't have a choice. If we stay she'll be in more danger than she already is," Kaname replied.

"Which is another reason not to go," Ken pointed out. "If my family doesn't already know she's alive, they will soon and they won't be happy about it. She can't protect herself in her state."

Kaname's eyes shifted to Ken and narrowed. "What state is she in?"

Ken jolted. "She didn't tell you?"

"If she had told me, I wouldn't be asking you, would I?"

"When I was making it seem as though she had died, I ran across a few interesting things. One of them being that there was some sort of spell put on her to inhibit the amount of her own power she could use. Essentially her blood was weakened, purposely. She's a lot stronger than anyone ever thought and she's going to have to learn to deal with that, it's not going to be easy.... She's pregnant."

Yuki gasped and her hands stopped playing with the fabric of the flowing skirt to limply hang at her side as she stared at Ken. Even Kaname couldn't mask his surprise, he lifted his head from his hand and glanced at the door.

"You're certain?" He asked.

His lips tightly pressed into a thin line, Ken nodded. "I am. It was a bit of a surprise for me to run into that while casting the spell that would "kill" her, I had to move carefully after that. It's still very early though, she probably wouldn't have noticed for a few more weeks if I hadn't told her."

Letting his head fall back onto the leather, Kaname closed his eyes and sighed.

"She needs all of the friends and protection she can get right now, you can't still think it alright to leave her here," Ken pressed.

"I have no choice. I have many enemies at the moment and I don't want Reina involved, more so now."

"She needs her friends-"

"And she'll have them," Kaname interrupted. "I'll arrange for Aido and Kain to come and stay with her. I'm sure the Aido's won't protest and she thinks of him as her brother."

"She's going to feel as if you've abandoned her. Again," Ken said, turning on his heel to walk out of the room.

"Again," Yuki repeated.

"Yes. Again," Kaname answered tiredly, running a hand wearily over his face. "Only this time she might not forgive me."

* * *

Ken leaned into the wall of Reina's bedroom, staring out the window and into the dark night that had engulfed everything. He could hear Reina's even breathing as she slept peacefully for the first time in hours. Most of her slumber had been riddled with nightmares, her bedsheets were rumpled and strewn across her messily, her long hair was coming lose of the braid the kind Midori had put it in and her face was lined with sadness.

The large house was eerily silent and he wondered how it was that she had lived most of her life here by herself with only the servants for company. At the moment it was just the two of them and the servants, Kaname and Yuki had left hours earlier while Reina had still been asleep. He couldn't help but think Kaname a coward for not waiting for her to wake, but he also knew that the man probably wouldn't be able to leave if she had asked him to stay. He felt bad for her, she had been dealt an unfair hand and just as she thought her luck was beginning to change, so much had gone wrong.

The sound of the phone ringing downstairs caught his attention and Ken silently left Reina's room to see who was calling. He met Midori just as he was turning the corner after descending the stairs, she was still unsure what to make of the man, but she bowed to him nonetheless.

"That was the Aido's. They called to let us know that the young Hanabusa and his cousin will be here tomorrow. He had wanted to leave tonight, but his father was insistent that they stay at least one night before leaving. They will be taking the train into the nearest town, I will make arrangements for them to be picked up as soon as I know when they will arrive," Midori explained without waiting for him to inquire about who had called.

"When who arrives," a soft, musical tone asked quietly.

"Reina-sama," Midori said worriedly, bustling around Ken, her long black skirt fluttering around her feet as she climbed the steps to where Reina stood at the top in her floor length silk and lace black babydoll nightgown.

She looked tired, as if she hadn't just slept for nearly ten hours, and most of all she looked broken. Her eyes were rimmed with red circles and her cheeks were pale and she looked gaunt, too thin and frail as she stood at the top of the stairs, half in shadow as Midori carefully laid a hand on her thin arm and made to steer her back to her room.

"I'm fine, Midori," Reina protested, but the tremor in her voice and the sheer tiredness that she was exuding was a clear sign that she was anything but fine. She let her sapphire eyes drift to the door of her father's old study, the same study that Kaname had been in earlier that day before closing her eyes for a moment and sighing resignedly.

"You're not fine, Reina," Ken stated, his tone as even and calm as always as he made his way up the steps to stand in front of her, smiling reassuringly at Midori who protectively moved closer to Reina and made as if to step in between them. "I promise you I mean her no harm."

Reina sighed, waving a hand at Midori dismissively and almost as if annoyed. "You can trust him Midori. He may be a Takamora, but he isn't like the rest of his family. You have him to thank for me still being alive so treat him well. Now. Who is arriving?"

"Hanabusa Aido and Akatsuki Kain," Ken answered.

"Kaname's doing?"

"Yes."

"When did they leave?" Reina asked.

"Several hours ago now. He didn't want to put you or your child in any further danger by being near you. He's only trying to protect you and he also has his sister to think about now," Ken said.

"I wonder how Yuki feels, she's lived as a human and in their society for so much of her life, marriage to a family member is forbidden, but it's quite common among many of the pure blood clans, especially the Kurans," she mused out loud.

"They're not going to be married. Yuki doesn't wish to be," Ken told her.

"Really," Reina replied, too tired to show much emotion and too drained to care.

"He would have stayed-"

"Don't bother, Ken, I know Kaname better than anyone. I know that he is doing what he has to and I'll support him however I can, but he wouldn't have stayed. I'm not the one he has to protect, regardless of what he says. I'm someone else's problem now, I've always been someone else's problem."

"Reina..."

She shook her head, blinking back the tears that were trying to break free of the dam she had built up to keep them hidden, shaking herself free of Midori's comforting hand, she walked back to her room, quietly shutting the door behind herself.

* * *

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8 Seasons Past

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

* * *

**Chapter 8 **

**Seasons Past**

The quiet sound of two engines could be heard in the distance, approaching the manor, but Reina never bothered to take her empty sapphire orbs from the landscape outside her window that was so bright with the little remaining snow still clinging to the plants and trees, but seemed so dull and dark to her. She had spent the last several hours sitting on the little cushioned bench beneath her window, ignoring every attempt that Midori or Ken made to try to get her to lay back down and rest or even to drink a glass of water and take a tablet. Instead she stared out the window as if waiting for something, but the look in her eyes clearly stated that she didn't expect what she was waiting for to ever come.

There were several more auras then there should have been, she had been told that just Hanabusa and Kain would be coming to stay with her, but instead she sensed five auras. Three of them she didn't recognize and it was this fact that finally made Reina rise from her seat and tear her eyes from her window. She didn't make a sound as she padded through the hall and stood at the top of the stairs, letting herself melt into the shadows as she watched the five people enter. Hanabusa and Kain were the first two to come in, followed by Ruka and Rima and then a tired looking Shiki.

Realizing that Shiki, Rima and Ruka were the owners of the foreign auras since she hadn't seen them the previous day at the school, she turned away and walked back to her room without bothering to acknowledge that she had guests. Midori could take care of them, she had no desire to be around anyone, all she wanted was to be left alone to her thoughts, as gloomy and hurtful as they were.

She was finding it hard to accept the idea of Takuma being dead, she didn't know if it was because she just didn't want to accept it as fact or if some part of her truly believed he was alive somewhere. Guilt was eating away at her, she kept thinking that if only she had gotten to his grandfather's sooner or if she had found him first before going to the Academy. If he had known she was alive then maybe, just maybe he wouldn't have gone to challenge his grandfather knowing full well that he couldn't beat him and still keep his life, it was one or the other, he had to have known that. Kaname had to have known it too and why he would leave Takuma there alone was beyond her, but she figured it had to do with letting Takuma fight his own battles. She also figured that Takuma would have wanted to finally show his grandfather he could do as he pleased and not as he was told, regardless of the price since he thought her to be dead and wouldn't have cared if he died. In the end she figured that was what he would have wanted from the fight, to die, so he could join her.

"Fool," she mumbled, resting her forehead against the cool glass of her window and putting a hand on her stomach, closing her her eyes to keep the tears that were filling her eyes from falling.

There was a soft tap on her door, but she didn't move or answer in anyway, hoping that her lack of response would make Aido go away since that was who was standing outside her door, fidgeting nervously judging by the soft creaks of the flooring beneath him.

"Reina," he called hesitantly, tapping on the door again before slowly turning the knob and poking his head around the thick wooden door.

Reina let out a small breath and opened her eyes, turning to look at the blond that was staring at her worriedly, she simply asked, "What is it, Hanabusa?"

"Uh..I just..Are you alright?" He inquired hesitantly, stepping inside her room and closing the door behind himself.

A small downhearted smile lifted her lips just a fraction and her eyes softened. "Fine," she lied.

Aido frowned, he obviously didn't believe her, not after being told that there was a good chance Takuma was dead and that Kaname had left with Yuki the night before while she had still been asleep. She was probably everything but fine. "You're lying," he replied, a hint of his usual stubbornness slipping into his worried tone.

Not having expected him to actually challenge her, Reina dropped the fake smile that had softened her face to simply stare at him for a moment before looking down at her hands with a small forlorn chuckle. "Yes, I suppose I am," she said quietly as she stared at the diamond ring on her left hand.

"Please don't do that Reina," Aido told her softly, walking across the room so that he could take a seat on the bench beside her and take her hands in his. "I heard about Ichijo, you don't need to pretend for me. Please don't lie and act as if you're alright when I know you're not."

Reina made no attempt to answer him in anyway, she merely laid her head on his shoulder and let him wrap his arms around her as silent tears slowly slid down her cheeks.

* * *

The days passed and turned to weeks, Reina's birthday came and went and the weather began to change. All the snow melted and disappeared, soaking into the earth and allowing the landscape to become a bright, vibrant green once again as winter became spring. Spring eventually grew into summer, the sun brightened, the temperature rose and the cool summer breeze brought a light, fresh airy scent through the house.

Though the scenery changed as the seasons came and went, Reina did not. She spent most of her time sitting on the bench beneath her window, staring blankly out into the world. News would come occasionally, letters from Kaname and even a few from Cross and Yagari, but it was hard to tell if Reina really cared or ever listened to what they had to say.

After Kaname had left, they had all been fairly surprised by the positive response from the vast majority of the vampire community. He was supported by many of their kind and while not all of their race agreed with his methods, many agreed that getting rid of the Council had been necessary and were willing to accept Kaname as their pureblood king. That did not however mean that the other purebloods would or that the Hunters would stop looking for him, he had murdered the Council of Ancients, the governing body of the vampires after all.

The Hunters were currently without any solid leadership since Kaien had been forced to eliminate the association's president due to the simple fact that the gaudy woman had taken the blood of a pureblood under the impression it would make her stronger. This had caused a problem for Kaname, with no one to give orders, the Hunter's Association was a bit of a mess and many of the Hunters were doing as they pleased or trying to prove themselves by going after he and Yuki with the help of the vampire families that had supported the Council or that just didn't agree with Kaname trying to retake the throne of their kind.

There had been many instances where young aristocrats who had helped the Council had acted of their own volition and attacked other vampire families for no reason other than they hadn't supported the Council. These uprisings were beginning to occur less frequently with the help of the Aido family and several other highly respected aristocrat families that hadn't supported the Council's actions. Kaname had been corresponding with several of these families and over the past several months order had begun to slowly return to the vampire community, he ruled quietly from the shadows, but he remained in hiding with Yuki until it would be safe to do otherwise and he was using that time to build stronger relationships with the high ranked families throughout the world.

The Hunter's Association was also beginning to get itself back to a state that resembled order. Cross, who had been detained following the attack on the school and his 'murder' of the Association's president, had recently been released. He and Yagari had been able to prove that several of the higher ups were corrupt and had been working closely with the Vampire Council of Ancients to put Rido on the throne to rule over the vampires. Many of the accused had outright denied any involvement and many others had killed themselves instead of facing a trial that was now only days away. If Cross could prove that the Association had been corrupted then there was a chance that it could begin to purge itself of those members and begin to rebuild itself.

Zero had disappeared for awhile following the attack on the school, but if the rumors were correct he was with Yagari and Cross, but that was all that had been heard about the human turned vampire boy that had killed Rido Kuran.

The Takamora family had by now heard of Reina's survival as well as the fact that it was Ken that had been the one to make it all possible. To say the least, they were in an uproar, but as of yet hadn't made an attempt to attack either one. It was inevitable that they would, it was just the type of family that they were, but at the moment they were too preoccupied with trying to gain as much control in the vampire world as they could, it wasn't going well for them.

Reina had spent almost every single moment throughout the trying months sitting on the little bench beneath her window, her sapphire eyes watching every single change that the land around the manor was going through, but not really noticing the flowers that were beginning to bloom or the leaves that had grown on the trees. Not once had she smiled or laughed or shown any real emotion since she had let silent tears slip from her eyes in Aido's arms what felt to her like several years ago.

Aido and the others were growing more and more worried for her. She barely ate or drank anything and she only did when reminded that it wasn't just her that needed the nourishment, but the child she carried. Her lack of emotion was frightening, she didn't cry, she didn't laugh or smile or show interest in anything but the scenery outside of her window that her eyes seemed to look right through.

It was on that bench that she currently sat, staring at the moon drenched landscape outside when Aido came into see her with a glass of water. The small black tin that held her blood tablets was where he had left it earlier, on the small table that had been placed by the bench so that she would have somewhere to set things down since she rarely moved.

"Reina," he questioned quietly when the girl didn't turn to look at him upon his entry into her room.

With a small jolt, Reina blinked and took in a deep breath, turning to Aido with a look of confusion that melted away quickly when she saw the glass in his hand. She blinked again and looked out of her window, frowning when she saw that it was now late evening, she didn't remember watching the sun sink beneath the tree line or even seeing the moon rise so high in the velvety darkness of the sky.

"I brought you some water," Aido told her, setting the glass down on the small table beside her.

"Thank you," she said quietly, staring at the glass before sighing and laying a hand over her slightly round stomach. It was obvious now that she was pregnant though she didn't look to be the seven months along that she was.

"You're welcome," Aido sighed, he was used to her spacing out and her short responses by now, but it didn't mean that he liked them anymore than he had to begin with.

Reina dropped several tablets in the water that had been brought to her before raising the glass to her lips and taking a small sip. When she pulled the glass away, she let out a surprised cry, dropping the glass to the floor and spilling its contents everywhere. Her hands flew to her stomach and she hunched forward slightly.

"Reina!" Aido shouted worriedly, putting a hand on her back and kneeling in front of her.

Having heard Reina's cry and Aido's worried shout, Ken and Midori had rushed to the room. The latter pushed the blond out of the way, ignoring the scowl she received and leaned down beside Reina. Kain, Ruka, Rima and Shiki stood in the hall, grouped together and staring in at the hunched over pureblood worriedly. The worry was soon replaced by confusion when a quiet, melodic laugh reached their ears.

Everyone exchanged uncertain glances before turning their full attention back to Reina whose shoulders had begun to shake.

"Reina-sama," Midori asked in concern.

When Reina raised her head, there were tears in her eyes, but everyone highly doubted they were from pain when they noticed the small smile that had graced her pale face.

"Reina," Aido inquired, none of them had seen her display any sort of emotion in such a long time that no one was sure what to think.

A small chuckle escaped Reina's lips as she grabbed Aido's hand and placed it over her stomach, holding it firmly there with her hands resting atop his. At first Aido tried to pull away, but then he felt what had made her cry out a grin broke out over his face as Reina smiled teary eyed up at him.

"The baby's kicking," he explained to everyone who were all still quite confused.

"That's the first time she's moved, she's been so quiet until now, I was beginning to think she'd be more like me than Takuma, but I think I may have changed my mind," Reina laughed, the tears that had been in her eyes finally pouring down her cheeks at the mention of the man she loved and the father of the child inside of her.

"What makes you say the baby's a she," Aido asked, hoping to steer the subject away from Takuma.

"I don't know really," Reina replied absently, looking down at her stomach and resting her hand on the small bulge. "I just have this feeling. Would you all stop staring at me," she snapped suddenly, making everyone jump a little, she hadn't raised her voice and hardly spoken in months, but it seemed that had all just changed.

Midori who was still by Reina's side, placed a hand on Reina's stomach, she smiled up at her young mistress who in turn smiled back at her. "She's quite energetic, isn't she?"

Reina nodded happily. "Well, come on," she called, looking up at the others who were still standing in the hall and waving them into her room.

When no one moved, but only exchanged looks, Aido glared at them and gestured for them to come in with a look that clearly said that if they made the smile on her face waver for even an instant, he'd make them regret it.

Ruka was the first to step forward surprisingly enough since she and Reina hadn't ever spoken much. She walked up to Reina who beamed up at her and let the girl put her small, dainty hand on her stomach. Ruka's eyes widened when she felt a small jolt to her hand that was followed by another and yet another. Kain came into the room to stand behind Ruka, but he had no intention of touching Reina, at least not until Ruka turned to him and put his hand on her stomach.

The fiery haired boy turned bright red and looked at Reina, but all she did was continue to smile.

"Rima, come here," Ruka called to her pig tailed friend who was still in the hall with Shiki.

Rima lifted an eyebrow and looked at Shiki who yawned widely. Rolling her eyes, Rima grabbed Shiki by the elbow and dragged him along with her into the room. Taking one of Shiki's hands, Rima put the boy's hand on Reina's stomach as well as one of her own. At first they didn't feel anything, but then there was a sudden movement that made even Shiki's usually emotionless face brighten up a little bit. After all the child Reina carried was the child of one of his best friends who was now gone from their lives.

"You too Ken, come here," Reina said to the brown haired man who had stood back and watched the entire scene with a small smile.

He didn't argue with her, he just lowered himself in front of her and put a hand gently onto her stomach. He received a much more powerful hello from the child that actually made Reina wince and Ken move his hand from her stomach to her shoulder in concern.

"Ugh, really now, was that necessary," she said, looking sternly down at her stomach only to frown when her statement was answered with another hearty kick and a small rumble that she could have sworn was the baby laughing at her. "Brat," she mumbled, looking up at Ken with a reassuring smile to tell him she was fine.

Silence descended on the room, no one knew what to do or say and were just sort of standing there looking lost. Reina hadn't realized this at first, she was too busy smiling at her stomach. When she did, she blinked up at everyone blankly for a second before recovering herself.

"Is there a reason why you're all standing around looking like lost puppies," she inquired casually. "Go play and let me clean up, will you?" She said, waving everyone off. "Midori, stay please."

"Yes, my lady," the older woman replied with a small nod of acknowledgement.

"Help me get cleaned up and dressed, I'd like to have dinner with everyone tonight," Reina said when everyone else had vacated the room.

"I'm sure they would all like that Reina-sama," Midori replied before walking to Reina's bathroom to start the bath water.

Reina slowly stood up, her muscles groaned a little in protest since she had been sitting in one position for such a long time. Placing her hands on her belly, she smiled almost sadly before looking back out her window and pulling the curtains shut, turning on her heel to go to her bathroom and the hot bath that was waiting for her. Though she didn't appear to have gained much weight during her pregnancy, Reina could tell that she had indeed gained quite a bit and it threw her off. She had spent so much time sitting down that she wasn't used to the added weight and it made her wobble slightly as she walked into the bathroom.

"Reina-sama," Midori said worriedly, rushing to the young woman's side to help steady her.

"I'm fine, just...kind of unbalanced," Reina replied with a small laugh as she patted her belly. "I'll be out in just a little while, don't tell them I'm coming down, I'd like to surprise everyone. I think I've made them worry enough."

"Are you really alright, Reina-sama," Midori asked seriously.

Reina sighed, her shoulders rising ever so slightly as she stared into the hot bath water that smelled of cherry blossoms and something like almonds. "I wouldn't say I'm alright, Midori. I just remembered that though Takuma may not be here, he's not very far either. I will protect this child, his child, and raise her to read too much manga and laugh as much as possible."

Midori smiled sadly at the white haired woman whose eyes had filled with tears. "I'll leave you be now mi'lady, if you need anything, just call."

"Thank you Midori," Reina whispered, waiting until the woman left the bathroom to slip her robe off and let it fall to the floor, followed by the fabric of her nightgown.

* * *

When Reina emerged from her bathroom nearly an hour later, she was dressed in a dark blue dress that barely brushed against her knees as she walked. The dress had long sleeves and a v-neck, there was a strip of thick, shiny silver ribbon that wrapped around the front of the dress just beneath her chest and tied in the back. It was meant to show off the bump that announced she was pregnant. Her hair was left down, she had no desire to do anything with it and her feet remained bare, as they usually did when she was at home.

She made her way out of her room and down the hall to the stairs, she quietly padded her way down them before turning towards the parlor where she could sense and hear everyone talking. When she pushed the door open, Ken was the first to actually notice her and the fact that she wasn't wearing a nightgown for the first time in months. When everyone noticed he had gone quiet, they all followed his gaze to the woman in the doorway.

"Reina," Aido said surprise, jumping up from his seat on one of the couches.

"Hello Hana, I hope you don't mind the interruption, but I thought I'd join everyone for dinner tonight," she replied, walking to where Aido stood gaping at her.

"Really," he asked hopefully, his face brightening instantly.

She nodded before gesturing for him to sit back down, once he was seated, she took a seat beside him, resting against his shoulder and pulling her legs on to the couch. Aido giggled happily, smiling proudly as he put his cheek against her head.

* * *

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9 Visitors

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

* * *

**Chapter 9 **

**Visitors**

Yawning, Reina stretched her arms over her head, keeping the book she had been reading held in her right hand. She made a small noise of annoyance as she readjusted her position on the couch and glared at her stomach, her daughter was intent on making her nice, calm, boring days as adventurous as possible. She would kick and jump around all day and the reactions from Reina varied from happy smiles to the small woman clapping a hand over her mouth and running to the bathroom when the child got a little too carried away.

"Are you alright Reina," Ken asked, he was sitting in one of the plush armchairs across from her, reading through some of the mail that had arrived not long ago. Everyone else was still asleep, it was the middle of the day after all and the sun was quite high in the sky.

"I'm fine," she answered with a sigh, moving around so that she could lean into the arm of the couch and stretch her black clad legs out. Smoothing out the dress like light blue sweater she wore and patting her stomach, she looked up at Ken who looked as handsome as usual in his dark gray slacks and black button up that was left untucked with the top few buttons undone. Reina had grown to know the brown haired man fairly well over the last several months and though he tried to keep his emotions to himself, she was beginning to see through the small cracks in his facade, she believed he was finally beginning to see that he could trust the people around him. He had lived his entire life around people who had forced him to do and be witness to terrible and heinous acts of violence when he was a gentle soul that was content to sit outside and stare into the night sky, he wanted nothing to do with the name that was given to him and the pain it came with. "Is something wrong," Reina asked when she saw the slight narrowing of his gray eyes.

"Hmm," he looked up at her from over the letter he was reading, the corners of his mouth twitching ever so slightly. "No, nothing's wrong. Yet."

A snow white brow lifted questioningly. "Yet?" She studied the man across from her, he seemed like he wanted to start laughing and when Reina's head cocked to the side and her eyes went towards the window, he actually did laugh. "Were we expecting company?" She asked in confusion, sensing a vehicle moving towards the manor, but unable to sense the people in it yet.

"Well...Not exactly, but.."

"Oh, give me the silly thing," Reina snapped when Ken started chuckling, she snatched the paper from his hand and scanned through the contents. She had started out curious, but as she read over the letter her fingers began to hold a little too tightly to the paper and a small scowl made its way to her face. "That damn man, this is dated two weeks ago, why are we just getting it now?"

"From what I've heard about him, he probably forgot to mail it," Ken answered.

"And you think it's funny," Reina said, crumpling the paper up and tossing it at his face. "If it were just him, that would be one thing, but to bring the other two with him, into a house full of vampires who don't like them? Is it just me or does that sound like a bad idea?"

Ken couldn't help but laugh at the annoyed look on Reina's face which earned him a small growl and a scowl. He coughed into his hand before looking up at her and trying not to smile as she glared at him, looking more like a spoiled child than a pregnant adult.

"Sorry," he amended.

Reina sighed before cocking her head to the side again. "Wait...You mean that's them coming right now?"

"You're just now figuring that out," Ken teased, raising his arms in defense when Reina threw a pillow at him.

"You know, I think I liked you better when you didn't express much emotion," Reina snorted, folding her arms over her chest arrogantly.

Shaking his head, Ken stood up and walked around the coffee table to offer Reina his hand, which she sniffed at and turned her head away from him like a stubborn child.

"They're going to be here soon, I assume you'd like to make arrangements for their arrival," Ken said.

Huffing, Reina gave Ken a small glare before relenting and taking his hand and letting him help her up from the couch.

"I'd rather just send them back to the Association, I'm not fond of being spied on, even if it's just a cover," Reina replied as she stood.

"A cover?"

"The Hunter's Association would never allow him to come here, not knowing that the foes he'd be against are purebloods. They wouldn't want to risk open war with the vampire community," she said, her eyebrows drawing together in thought and confusion. "Plus, there's no reason for the Association to be suspicious of anyone here and you know it. Those here are all from the families that are actually trying to rebuild the vampire society into a society that can coexist with humans, so why send people to spy on us? Especially them? There's something else going on and I intend to find out what," she answered seriously, meeting Ken's eyes for a moment before walking off to find Midori since their guests would be arriving soon.

"I suppose that makes sense. It's still likely that Association would want to know what's going on here though, after all my family is responsible for quite a bit of suffering," Ken answered.

"True," Reina replied. "If they just so happen to be here when I'm attacked then they would have a chance to eliminate your family."

"Right."

"And you're ok with this," Reina asked, watching the gray eyed man closely.

Ken nodded, smiling forlornly at her. "I'm no fool Reina, I know what my family has done. They have brought their fate upon themselves."

It didn't take her long to find Midori and have the woman start issuing orders to several others and waking even more. Once she had done that, Reina made her way back to the front of the house, she had every intention of being the one to greet the three people whose car was just now pulling into her long driveway. Ken was waiting for her by the stairs, leaning casually against the banister with his arms folded over his chest.

"I've gotten to know you pretty well, I trust you and you've become a very good friend, but I know you're hiding something from me," Reina said as she walked up to the man who was leaning against the dark wood of the railing behind him.

There was no immediate response from him, he just studied Reina and the challenging set of her face as she stared up at him. After a moment, he sighed heavily and unfolded his arms from across his chest. "I got a letter-"

"From Kaname," Reina asked before he could continue.

He nodded before continuing. "From Kaname, he didn't want me to tell you anything and at the time you were still keeping yourself locked up in your room and I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily until we had more information. According to some sources he has it is highly likely that my father is planning to attack us here before the month is out, he has gathered a good number of the family together, even the elders are moving and that's rare."

"Is that why they're here?" She asked, trying to calm and level headed.

"I don't know, the first I heard about this was the letter today."

"What do you think, are they going to attack?"

"News has gotten around that you're pregnant, they'll see that as a weakness and an advantage since they won't expect you to fight back. They know Kaname isn't here and he's the biggest threat against them, I'm not viewed as a threat, they know all my strengths and weaknesses, or so they believe," Ken answered with a small smirk. "Everyone else will just be viewed as a nuisance and with three purebloods, your entourage of several powerful aristocrats is nothing. They think you're weak and I think they will most definitely take advantage of that."

"Then let them, they'll be surprised to find that I'm far from weak," Reina spat, taking a deep breath before turning to the double doors and walking to them before flinging them open to face the three rather surprised men walking up her steps. There was a blond man, a man with unruly brown hair and a younger man with silver hair and lavender eyes, people she hadn't seen in several months.

It only took a moment for the blond man at the head of the group to regain himself and grin like an idiot before flouncing up the remaining stairs, earning him a sigh and an eye roll from the two men behind him. Reina glared at the man that was practically skipping towards her with a big grin on his face, but that didn't stop the man from throwing his arms out and trying to hug her. Instead of wrapping his arms around the white haired girl, the man got nothing but air and wound up falling face first into the ground.

"Cross," Reina hissed down at the man whose arms she had just avoided being crushed in.

"Oh dear why would you do that to me, I thought I was like a father to-"

"Shut up you idiot," the brown haired man grumbled, raising a booted foot to kick the blond who was attempting to get up and causing him to fall back onto the ground with a muffled shout.

Reina merely stood beside Ken and the two looked down at the now rather rumpled Kaien Cross that was half in the door and half out. The man muttered to himself as he pushed himself up and dusted himself off turning to glare at the brown haired Toga Yagari that had kicked him, said man simply shrugged, the cigarette in his mouth bobbing slightly.

It wasn't until Reina sneezed, a quiet squeak of a sound and took a small step back, that everyone's attention turned to her as she shook her head and crinkled her nose. Ken had put a hand on her back to steady her and was looking down at her to see that she was alright, it took him a moment to realize that she had shifted her anger from Cross to the brown haired man who had somehow failed to notice that she was scowling at him as she put her hands over her stomach.

The silver haired boy sighed, withdrawing his pale hands from the pockets of his jeans to grab the cigarette from the mouth of his teacher and toss it on the ground. He then stepped on the cigarette, effectively putting an end to the continuous line of smoke that had been permeating the air.

"Thank you Zero," Reina said sweetly, smiling at the boy and then Yagari who had turned his attention to her for a moment.

"What," Zero grunted when he looked up to see that Yagari was staring at him. "She's pregnant if you hadn't noticed."

"Sorry," Yagari mumbled.

Reina sighed, leaning into Ken as she began to realize just how tired she was.

"Are you alright," he asked.

"Fine, just tired," Reina answered, not failing to notice the narrowing of Zero's eyes as Ken wrapped his arm around her. "And I'm wasting my energy because _someone_ failed to give me proper notice that a bunch of vampire hunters were going to be joining me and the several other vampires that are staying here."

"You said you sent a letter," Yagari said to Cross.

"I did," the man whined, rubbing at his neck when his friend tweaked his brow at him. "I just forgot to mail it."

Both Zero and Yagari sighed, muttering curses under their breath as they looked away from the blond man.

"I also know you're not here to simply spy on me, but at the moment I don't care, I want to go lay down."

"Would you like me to help you," Ken asked.

Shaking her head, Reina straightened herself up and met Zero's eyes. "No, Zero will help me, if he doesn't mind of course." She raised a hand for him to take and at first he only stared at her, but after a moment, he stepped forward and took her hand, letting her entwine their arms together before turning to the stairs.

It wasn't until after he and Reina had gotten to her room that Zero spoke as Reina sat down on the padded bench beneath her window.

"How long?"

"Excuse me?" Reina asked, not understanding Zero's question.

"How long have you been pretending to be okay?"

"I'm not pretending, I'm perfectly fine."

"You're lying," Zero shot back.

"And how would you know," Reina snapped irritably, but she already knew the answer. Out of everyone in her house at the moment, she and Zero knew each other the best, they had each others blood in their veins after all and after adjusting to the new aura she gave off, it wasn't hard for him to be able to sense what she was feeling.

"Because I can feel it," he replied, locking his lavender eyes with her sapphire.

"I'm fine," she said dismissively, breaking their gaze to look out her window.

"Have you had an attack yet?"

Reina looked down at her hands for a moment before she shook her head, her white hair swishing around her face. "No. I haven't had an attack yet, the tablets are still working, I just need them much more often than normal."

"Why did you want me to walk you up here," Zero asked, leaning against one of the posts of her bed and watching her.

"Because you won't lie to me like Cross and Yagari will, like they've likely been told to do by the one man you hate more than anything."

"What makes you think we're here because of Kaname? Cross got some information saying the Takamora's-"

I already know that," she cut in harshly. "Who gave you the information is what I want to know."

"How should I know?"

"Was it him or not, it's a simple question. Don't make me force you to answer, you know I can," Reina said quietly.

"What does it matter," he asked.

Her eyes narrowed. "I want to know if the bastard sent you here to protect me since he couldn't be bothered to do it himself and he doesn't believe I can protect myself."

"He left again, didn't he? After everything that happened, everything you lost because of him, he just took off and disappeared. He abandoned you again."

"Yes, he abandoned me again and when I needed him the most. He has no right to interfere in my life, but that's exactly what he's doing, isn't it? You three were sent here to keep an eye on me just like the others were, I'm a burden to him and nothing more," Reina said harshly. A small bitter laugh slipped through her lips as she rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I'm not a fool, something he keeps forgetting. He wants me protected and he isn't here to do it himself and he doesn't plan on being here at all, so he's having whomever he can do it for him. Sounds like Kaname to me, so correct me if I'm wrong in my assumption."

"You're not wrong," Zero answered. "Kaname is the one who asked Cross to come here."

"Makes me wonder if he feels guilty for abandoning me once again or if I as just an after thought."

"It's guilt."

"And what makes you say that," Reina asked curiously.

"Because if it wasn't, I'd kill him myself."

Reina snorted. "There you go sounding like you like me again. I thought we'd already established that you hate me and my kind, which makes me wonder why you'd willingly walk into a house full of vampires and even be willing to sleep under the same roof."

"I don't hate you, I owe you."

"Owe me?"

"Yeah, I owe you," he stated, pushing himself away from the bed post. "You gave me two options that day, remember?"

"Yes, I told you to either accept what you were or hate yourself and every other one of my kind."

"Well, I made my choice and I don't hate our kind." He said nothing else as he walked out of the room leaving Reina staring after him blankly.

It took a few minutes for his words to fully sink in, but when they did, a small smile graced her features. "Well that was unexpected."

* * *

Please review!


	10. Chapter 10 They're Here

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight, if I did there would be way more Takuma because he's the best vampire ever. He likes manga, he's funny, and he doesn't sparkle, because that's just weird...

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**They're Here**

Since rooms had not yet been prepared, Zero, Cross and Yagari were taken to the parlor to wait and have some tea. They talked amongst themselves about how things were progressing for the Hunter's Association as well as for Kaname.

Everything seemed to be mending itself slowly for the Association, Kaien was likely going to be named the next president which would be beneficial not only to the Association but to the vampire world as well. There would be many changes that would have to take place, new rules and training methods, but Kaien believed it was possible.

While the Association was changing and morphing for good, it wasn't quite the same with the vampire community. Though outwardly things seemed to have gotten better, there were now hardly ever any unwarranted attacks on humans or families that supported Kaname and the vampires that supported the Council had quieted significantly. It was what was going on beneath the surface that worried them. The Takamora's had begun to strengthen ties with several aristocratic families that had had strong ties to the Council as well as with another pure blood if the rumors were correct. It was unknown who the other pure blood was since there was no proof, only hearsay. They were gathering a massive number of vampires to them and that didn't bode well for anyone.

Knowing his family rather well, Ken felt that it was highly likely that they planned to attack Reina first in hopes to eliminate her and to draw out Kaname since they knew he wouldn't ignore the murder of a woman he had loved and her unborn child. Drawing Kaname out also meant that Yuki would be drawn out as well, they would be able to dispose of the Kuran bloodline and try to take power from there.

"There are three pure bloods left to the Takamora clan, not including you, right," Yagari asked, he was seated on one of the lavish couches, his arms folded over his chest and slouching with one foot resting on his knee, he looked rather out of place in the clean and elegant surroundings with his disheveled appearance and worn clothing.

"Correct," Ken answered, nodding. "My father and two elders who usually don't get involved, but it seems that they too are moving and helping my father in winning over the aristocrats that served or just supported the Council."

"What do you think the odds are that Reina will be attacked as Kaname believes," Cross inquired, pushing his glasses up on his nose absently.

"I think it's highly likely. Her pregnancy makes her a prime target since they'll think she won't be able to defend herself and they don't think I'm a threat to them. To them that makes her virtually unprotected since those gathered here would only be considered nuisances that could be easily dealt with," Ken replied.

"He really wants to make sure she's protected, doesn't he," Cross sighed tiredly. "Not only does she have several powerful aristocrats and a pure blood guarding her, she now has us."

"Yeah, how nice of him. He ruins her life and then sends a bunch of idiots to look after her since he can't be bothered to do it himself," Zero snorted.

"You're one of those idiots too, you know," Yagari retorted.

Grunting, Zero shoved himself off of the couch. "I'm going outside," he grumbled.

"Oh, that's my cute son, make sure the perimeter is clear, you're so-" Cross was cut off when Yagari shoved a pillow over the man's face with a sigh.

"You'll have to excuse my idiot apprentice, he doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut," Yagari said.

"He has every right to hate Kaname. Not only has Kaname used him, but he doesn't like to see him hurt Reina again and again. It's odd that that boy cares so much for Reina, but I suppose it's a good thing, if it weren't her I some how doubt that he would have accepted his fate. Kiryu hated vampires, but now here he is willingly living alongside them while struggling to accept his existence as one. Must be very hard for him," Ken mused.

* * *

Though the presence of the three newcomers hadn't gone unnoticed no one had cared enough to get up and investigate, even Aido remained comfortably in bed, mainly because he thought he was justing having a very bad dream in which Kiryu, the headmaster and even Yagari had all shown up to torment him and steal his pocky. Even though their auras lingered when he woke up, he brushed it off as if it were nothing and proceeded to take a nice cool shower and then get dressed before sauntering downstairs where he could sense Reina so that they could curl up on the couch.

With a silly grin in place, Aido practically skipped down the steps and to the a room down the same hall as the library that had a large television in it that everyone had taken to watching since there wasn't much else to do to fling the doors open and walk inside, prepared to cuddle with Reina and talk to her stomach. He stopped dead in his tracks however when he noticed that Reina wasn't alone as he had thought, but that she was leaning against someone else who had an arm around her and his hand on her stomach. It wasn't so much that she was so comfortably sitting with anyone but him that irked him and made his face turn redder than a tomato, it was who she was getting comfortable with.

Spluttering out a long string of nonsense as he raised a finger to point at Zero, Aido couldn't contain the fact that he was not happy with what he saw. "W-what the hell are you doing here?!" He finally managed to shout. "And why are you touching Reina?"

Zero looked over at the red faced noble with a raised brow and a clearly bored expression before choosing to ignore him and turn back to the television that was on the History channel, one of Reina's favorites since she liked to compare history as the humans knew it to what the vampires knew and many had lived through.

"Don't ignore me," Aido snapped, stomping his way over to stand in front of Reina and Zero. "And get your filthy hands off of Reina-sama."

Reina sighed, she hadn't expected him to be happy about Zero's presence, but she wasn't in the mood for one of his temper tantrums. "Hana, Zero's here because Kaname thinks that the Takamora's are going to attack me soon and he wanted me to have more protection since you and everyone but Ken and I would be useless against three pure bloods."

Aido stood dumbfounded in front of the two, he thought being called useless was rather harsh. It wasn't his fault that pure bloods could control lesser vampires after all.

"Would you mind moving, you're in the way," Zero asked blandly.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get your hands off of Reina! And you're in my seat so you should move!"

"Gladly," Zero grumbled, preparing to get up.

"Oh no you don't," Reina said, grabbing onto Zero and tugging him back down, earning her a glare from both Zero and Aido. "As long as you're touching my stomach, she's quiet, you're not going anywhere. I want some peace from the constant jumping and kicking, it was cute at first, but after two weeks of it, it's just kind of annoying."

Rolling his eyes, Zero let Reina put his arm over her again, his hand on her stomach and her head back onto his shoulder. Reina had demanded that he put a hand on her stomach to feel the baby kicking and when he had the baby had stopped kicking and the next thing he had known he was sitting on the couch with Reina making herself comfortable beside him. "Does it matter what I want?"

"Nope. Sorry Zero, but you're my new best friend so long as the baby keeps quiet while you're around," Reina answered flashing him a small grin.

Aido was speechless. Utterly speechless as he stood there and watched Reina make herself comfortable against Zero, who though he had seemed willingly to leave and let him take his seat, looked quite comfortable with the beautiful girl in his arms. It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, but when it did he growled quietly and stubbornly left the room.

"I'm surprised you're letting me use you as a pillow, Zero. You used to hate just being in the same area as a vampire and though you say you don't hate our kind, you have yet to fully accept them," Reina said after Aido had left the room.

Grunting at her remark, Zero tried to ignore her, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't let him no matter how hard her tried.

"I'm also surprised you don't hate me, I rejected you, rather harshly."

Continuing to try and ignore her, Zero stared at the television intently.

"Stop trying to ignore me, you know it won't do you any good."

"It was worth a try," he grumbled.

"Do you hate me Zero," Reina asked.

"I told you before that I didn't hate you."

"That was before I rejected you."

"And my answer hasn't changed."

"Really, why?" Reina asked curiously.

Zero was quiet for a moment as a frown settled over his handsome features. "It just hasn't."

"That's not much of an answer," she pointed out.

"So. You rarely answer my questions, why should I answer yours," he shot back.

"Because."

"That's not much of an answer."

"I want to know why after all that has happened you don't hate me, why you're choosing to accept your fate that was unfairly handed to you and why you're here, you had a choice, you didn't have to come." She kept her eyes focused on the television as she spoke, watching but not really processing anything except for the reaction of the boy she was leaning against.

There wasn't much of a reaction from Zero, he too kept his eyes on the television, he didn't know how to respond to the question without likely upsetting her, but he also knew that if he remained quiet she would just keep prodding him for answers. "You."

"Hmm." His one word answer had been rather unexpected and the meaning was uncertain, she blinked and looked up at him to see that he was avoiding looking at her and he had a rather serious expression on his face.

"Are you really going to make me explain this to you," Zero asked, a harsh undertone to his voice as he finally looked down at her.

The harsh undertone didn't match the look in his eyes though, there was a softness there, a fondness, that surprised her and made her gasp. Her last day at the Academy before leaving for the Winter break that ended in such a mess replayed itself in her mind. She remembered the look in his eyes and if was quite similar to the look he wore now, he still wanted her even though he knew he couldn't have her.

"I...I.."

"Don't worry about it. I owe you, so I'll protect you if that's all you want from me."

"Zero..."

"Just shut up and watch the damn t.v," he mumbled irritably, shifting his weight to get comfortable on the couch.

Glancing down at her hands that sat in her lap and then at the hand that she had forced Zero to place on her round stomach, Reina frowned. She didn't want to hurt him, but that didn't change the fact that she couldn't give him what he wanted. Not only couldn't, but wouldn't. They came from two very different worlds and though she did care about him, she felt nothing for him outside of friendship and she hoped that one day he could see her as a friend too and not just the woman he desired but couldn't have, but that he chose to protect anyway.

* * *

It was that night that the dreams started.

In them Reina was standing outside of the manor on a dark night where the only light was from the small sliver of the moon that hung in the cloudy sky. The scent of blood was everywhere and when she looked around she saw that there were bodies littered through the meadow.

Her heart began to try and pound its way out of her chest as her eyes went from body to body, identifying each one. Hanabusa, Kain, Ruka, Shiki, Rima, Ken, Zero, Cross and even Yagari were all there, Midori and several other of the household servants too, their bodies littering the area. A child's cry startled her and she snapped her head up and turned towards the manor, there was a figure in one of the second story windows with a baby wrapped in a blanket in their arms.

She tried to move but couldn't, tried to scream but had no voice and was forced to watch as the shadow figure elongated the nails of one of their hands and raised it above the child's chest. It was in the instant that the figure raised its hand that there was a flash of lightning and it began to rain, the lightning briefly illuminated the figure that held her child and she saw the familiar face that hovered above the baby. Unable to do anything at all, Reina stared up at the figure and watched as the hand began to descend.

"Reina!"

She woke up drenched in a cold sweat, her heart pounding in her chest and a scream stuck in her throat as several tears slid from her wide eyes as she sat upright, breathing rapidly.

"Reina," a male voice called again.

Looking up at the lavender eyes that were staring at her in concern, Reina breathed out a sigh of relief and placed a hand over her stomach. She closed her eyes and let the tears fall from her eyes.

"Reina, what happened," Zero asked.

"A dream," she replied hoarsely, shaking her head as she pushed herself up from the couch and wrapping both arms protectively around her stomach.

Zero stood up too, frowning at her as she shakily walked out of the room.

Reina made her way through the house and up the stairs to the room that Ken had taken, she didn't bother to knock as she opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Reina," the brown haired man asked concern and surprise, turning towards her from where he stood, about to pull a white undershirt over his bare chest.

"I had a dream," she stated as if that should be enough to explain her sudden appearance in his room.

And for him, it was. He pulled his shirt on, pulling his long hair that he hadn't yet put into a ponytail out of the shirt before walking over to her and taking her elbow to lead her to one of the two chairs in the corner of the room.

"What happened," he asked after helping her take a seat.

"Everyone was dead. You, Hana, Zero, Midori, everyone. I was outside, surrounded by your bodies when I heard.." she trailed off her eyes flicking to her round stomach as she took a deep breath. "I heard a baby's cry and when I looked up...I-I couldn't do anything, I couldn't-"

"It's alright Reina, just calm down. It was just a dream," Ken assured her, kneeling in front of her to take her hands in his.

"I know, but I swore to protect this child. His child and...and..."

"Shh." Gathering Reina in his arms, Ken held her as she started to sob. "Nothing is going to happen to your child Reina, it was just a dream."

"Was it them," she asked through her sobs.

Ken sighed. "If you mean my family, most likely. I wasn't paying enough attention Reina, I'm sorry I let them get to you."

"It was Takuma," she whispered. "Takuma tried to kill our child."

"It was just a dream Reina," he repeated, but the fact that it was Takuma she had seen trying to kill their child unsettled him. It made him wonder just what his family knew.

He and Reina left the room a few minutes later and were instantly confronted by Zero who was leaning into the wall directly across the hall.

"Hello Kiryu, what can we do for you," Ken asked with a small smile.

Zero ignored him, but his eyes flashed to the hand that was on Reina's back to help support her since she still seemed rather shaken by her dream.

"Dinner's ready," Zero finally said, pushing himself up from against the wall and walking away from the two pure bloods.

"Do you want to go down or would you rather eat alone," Ken asked Reina.

She shook her head. "No, I'll go down, I'd just like to wash my face. Mind keeping me company?"

"Of course. Though I'm afraid Zero is getting the wrong idea about our relationship."

"I don't really care what Zero thinks, he is a friend to me and nothing more. If he's going to accept that he is now a member of our race, then it's time he learned that that is all he can ever be."

* * *

Over the next two weeks, Ken rarely left Reina's side and the dream never returned to her, but it haunted her all the same.

Even with their new house guests, everyday life was rather dull and boring as they all waited for some form of news from Kaname or one of Cross' contacts. Yagari kept to himself, as did Zero though he had a tendency to shadow Reina. Cross was his usual much too happy self and had taken to helping out her staff and even gardening, Reina didn't mind, if the eccentric hunter was outside then he wasn't inside gushing over her stomach and talking in baby talk.

There had been little news in the past several days as to the movements of the Takamora's and those that had joined with them. Instead of making anyone more relaxed, it was putting everyone on edge. Reina only had about one month left in her pregnancy and if the Takamora's were going to use that as an advantage, then there was only so much time left before they attacked. With no idea when this was going to happen, everyone went into alert mode, even Rima and Shiki who usually spent their time leaning on each other and eating pocky while reading or watching television had begun to grow restless and found themselves in the parlor with Aido, Kain and Ruka. The five vampires spent most of their time quietly in this room now while Yagari and Zero spent more of their time outside. All of them were waiting for some news of what was going on because not knowing was beginning to make them all much to tense.

It was currently mid-afternoon and the sun was still rather high in the sky, but everyone was gathered in the parlor. Even Reina was there, leaning comfortably against Ken as the two of them read. Despite the number of people gathered in the one room, it was almost completely silent so when the phone in the hall rang, they all jumped and turned their heads toward the door.

In the same moment the phone rang, Reina was off the couch, Ken stood up to shield her and the doors to the parlor flew open to reveal Zero and Yagari, Cross was right behind them, his cheery demeanor replaced with a serious coldness. They had all sensed the same thing, the fast approaching auras of three pure bloods and several powerful aristocrats.

"They're here," Reina said, staring out the window as the phone continued to ring in the hall.

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Please review!


	11. Chapter 11 Almost

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight.

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**Chapter 11**

**Almost**

It was deathly quiet in the large room and throughout the entire house. The young man lying in the plush, elegant bed in the center of the room pushed himself up with a pained groan, a hand going to his neck and the slowly fading marks that marred it. Looking around to be sure that he was alone as his senses were telling him he was, he slid to the edge of the bed and lowered his long legs over the side. It took him a moment to steady himself on the weak limbs before he began the long trek to the white door across the room. He used the few objects that were in his path to steady himself, a chair, a small dresser, the wall until he got to the door where he paused and closed his eyes, concentrating on the several auras he had become accustomed to feeling moving around in the extravagantly large manor.

Breathing out a slow and shaky breath, the young man turned the golden door knob and quietly pulled the heavy door open, trying to make no sound, he crept into the hall that was decorated with elegant cream wallpaper that had pale blue accents and several old paintings with delicate gold wall lamps spaced evenly throughout the hall. Slipping silently down the hall unnoticed, the man reached a stairwell that led down to a quiet and empty living area. There were expensive rugs tossed over the marble flooring and an ornate royal blue furniture set that consisted of a high backed sofa and several over sized chairs. It was none of these things that caught the man's eyes though, it was the small hand held phone that sat atop a round wooden table that was on the opposite side of the room.

Gripping the banister tightly for a moment the man took a quick look around before flying down the stairs at an inhuman speed. The fingers of his left hand wrapped around the phone and pulled from the dock while he used his right hand to turn the phone on and quickly punch through a series of numbers, praying that he had remembered them correctly.

When the line connected and began to ring he nearly lost his footing in his relief as he breathed out a long gust of air and impatiently waited for someone to answer the other line.

"Please...Please pick up the phone," he pleaded under his breath, closing his eyes and grasping the phone so tightly his knuckles began to turn white.

No one answered his pleas, the phone continued to ring unanswered and a wave of despair washed over the man, his hand loosened its grip on the phone as his eyes opened and he looked up at the high ceiling above him, tears filling the green orbs.

The man's eyes widened when he suddenly realized that he was no longer alone. He turned his head to look over his shoulder at the small blond woman that was standing in the now open door, her wavy hair falling over the white cloak she wore as she stared evenly at him. The phone he was holding just away from his ear went dead and fell from his hand, clattering loudly to the floor just before he lost consciousness himself and collapsed.

"A misbehaved toy is troublesome, didn't I warn you to behave yourself," the woman said, walking to where the man lay on the ground, she untied her cloak from around her pale neck and let it carelessly fall to the floor. Kneeling down beside the young man and brushing some of his long hair from his face, the woman let a small smile that spoke of nothing that resembled happiness but malice and hate the woman let a chuckle glide through her lips. "I'm beginning to grow tiresome of this game...I believe it's time we made some changes to the rules, it will make things much more interesting. Kaname and his little princess can't stay hidden forever and the last Tsukina is proving to be much more of a nuisance then I would have thought possible...."

* * *

"Kaname-sama, they're on the move," Seiren announced, stepping into a dimly lit, but lavishly decorated office where Kaname sat behind a large desk, a stack of mail and other papers in front of him.

"How many," Kaname asked, looking up from his work to look at the silvery haired vampire.

"All three purebloods and at least thirty nobles, all Takamora's."

"I see. Try to contact Reina or anyone else that's with her. Warn them," he said, rising from behind the desk.

Seiren nodded once and gave a small bow before turning to leave and do as she had been asked.

* * *

"Get her out of here," Ken ordered seriously, putting a hand on Reina's back and shoulder and trying to steer her towards Zero, but she wasn't having any of it.

"I'm not going anywhere," she stated, an icy ring to her calm voice as she turned her narrowed sapphire eyes on Ken.

"Reina," the man began to protest only to be cut off when Reina lifted a pale hand in the air.

"I said, I'm not going anywhere," she repeated coldly. "They're here for me and if it's me they want to see then so be it."

Without another word, Reina stepped around Ken and made her way to the doors that were being blocked by the three Hunters. At first it appeared none of them were going to let her pass, but as she neared them, Zero took a step back and to the side. Reina strode past him and wasn't surprised when he fell into step several paces behind her. Cross and Yagari followed after Zero, their main objective there was to look after Reina and keep her safe, something they couldn't do if they weren't with her.

The five nobles exchanged uncertain and worried glances before focusing on Ken. The pureblood sighed, frowning as he looked over his shoulder and out the window.

"The choice to fight is yours, there are three purebloods leading the others, but so long as you stay far enough away they won't be able to control you in anyway. They also won't likely go after any of you unless you get in their way, which I suggest you don't," Ken said knowingly, his face which had become so much more full of life was blank now and there was an unnerving emptiness in the way he spoke and hidden in the depths of his stormy gray eyes.

Aido didn't wait or even hesitate as he turned and strode from the room, his stride was proud and sure and it was what made his cousin nod and follow after him. Ruka was the next to go, she was determined to show everyone that she was a strong woman and to protect one of the things that was precious to the man she had spent so long pining away after. Shiki and Rima exchanged glances before shrugging and linking arms to follow after their friends, they had no intention of losing anyone else that was important to them and they would protect the person whom their best friend had loved dearly.

Ken was the last to go, taking one last look out the window that faced the front of the house, Reina and the others had gone towards the back of the house to meet the fast approaching threats. Though he couldn't sense her any longer and had only caught a fleeting hint of her aura, he knew she was there. A woman with wavy golden blond hair that fell below her waist, beautiful in an ethereal way, like an angel, but this woman was no angel. She was a pureblood and she was concealing her aura effortlessly as she observed the manor from the surrounding forest. "Just what role are you playing in all of this," he mused under his breath before slipping from the room.

* * *

The dark purple fluttery dress that Reina wore over a pair of black slacks danced around her as she calmly made her way through the house, a pale hand atop her round stomach and a look in her eyes that Zero had never seen there before. Anger, hate, bitterness. Though her eyes clearly stated this, she herself wasn't exuding even the tiniest hint of any of it, she was the essence of serene at the moment as she opened the back door and glided, barefoot, into the neatly trimmed yard and towards the meadow where the tall grass was swaying lightly in the cool late evening breeze. The sun was a deep shade of red as it begun to sink into the distant trees and mountains, staining the sky with a wide array of beautiful colors. She stopped halfway to the meadow and simply stood there, waiting.

She was not frightened as she stood there, something that struck her as odd. She had hardly any experience in fighting and here she was about to stand up to three purebloods who were much, much older and experienced than she was. Still it didn't bother her, she felt a strange sort of calm throughout her body as well as an immense amount of anger and bitterness, but she was able to keep the emotions hidden underneath the calmness she felt. It was these emotions however that made her aware of something else...Something dark and violent with an unnerving amount of power and strength that was moving through her.

"_You were too strong. You could probably evenly match a Kuran, Reina, easily."_

Ken's voice floated through her memory and she realized with little surprise that he was right. Now that she was actually preparing to fight she could feel it. The hidden depths of the dark and ancient destructive power that was intertwined with the red liquid that flowed through her veins was almost frightening. Though this new amount of strength was new to her it was not unfamiliar, she felt attuned to the flow to it, as if she had always possessed such massive amounts of it.

It was as if there was a procession of some sort since everyone was following behind Reina, slowly, calmly until they were out of the house. Zero took up a position to Reina's right, Yagari to her left, Cross stood beside Zero while Aido stood behind her, Kain beside him joined shortly after by Ruka, Shiki and Rima stood with them. Ken however stepped around them and nodding to Yagari took the space to Reina's left.

It was quiet, the only sounds were the soft sighs of the wind through the meadow and the trees, there were no birds singing or animals calling out to one another, just the airy voice of the cool breeze. No one spoke as they stood in the fading dusk and watched the sun creep lower in the sky and continued to wait.

There was a whisper of movement, a soft flutter of sound accompanied by an amused, dark chuckle. A slight twitch from Reina was the only response as she watched the three pureblood males appear several yards away, Ken's father, Daiki was standing about a foot in front of two other males, the Elders of the Takamora clan. The elders were dressed in lavish suits that made them look as if they belonged more in the late twentieth century than the present, Daiki was in a more modern black suit with a cocky smile on his face as he eyed Reina, his eyes flicking to her stomach. Seconds after the three purebloods arrived a group of thirty nobles appeared behind them, all of them were from the Takamora line.

"Why it's so nice to see you again, Reina," Daiki said with feigned happiness as he smiled at her. "You're looking well compared to the last time I saw you."

The light breeze kicked up briefly, sending a rippling wave through the meadow and stirring Reina's hair around her body. "Yes I suppose I do, after all, being beaten while surrounded by Hunter spells that are meant to immobilize us vampires can leave one in a less than acceptable state. You have your son, Ken, to thank for me no longer being in that state though, aren't you glad," Reina asked, a sharp edge to her calm, musical voice that sounded almost playful as she tilted her head and smiled amusedly.

Daiki's own smile faltered and a flicker of unadulterated hate flickered through his aura as well as annoyance at being taunted by a woman a fraction of his age, but who was acting superior to him. "If anything, I have him to thank for saving me the pleasure of killing you."

"You, kill me," Reina replied with a dainty giggle that melted away to reveal a challenging smile. "I'd like to see you try."

Another flicker of hate swam through Daiki's aura and without hesitation the man glanced behind him at the nobles and nodded towards Reina.

The white haired woman didn't move a single muscle as a group of ten vampires flew at her. There was a hiss of fire and a cracking sound of ice before a wall of each circled around the five that stood before Aido and Kain, shooting towards the fast approaching enemy, two of the vampires fell prey to the fire, one to the ice, erupting into a spray of red dust. There was a crackle of electricity, and the snap of a whip and four more vampires disappeared. The three remaining all suddenly froze, their eyes widening in confusion before they were engulfed in a mixture of flame and ice.

"Hmm," Reina mused, letting a thoughtful frown twist her lips. "Not very impressive, I didn't even have to do anything and they sure didn't get very far. You're going to have to try harder than that if you want to kill me, Daiki."

The much older pureblood's face contorted with anger at Reina's taunts and the emotion spilled into his aura, he was no longer able to keep calm in the face of a woman that was little more than a baby when compared to him but who was humiliating him with her cool exterior and her arrogance. "Don't forget there are three purebloods here, your little following is worthless against us. Should I show you the true strength of what I can do?"

Ken went to take a step forward to protest, but Reina raised a purple clothed arm in front of him, her eyes remained locked on the narrowed gray eyes of the man's father.

"There may be three purebloods on your side, but don't forget there are two here and three vampire hunters that won't succumb to your tricks, not that the others will either."

"What do you think a little, inexperienced girl like you can do," Daiki replied darkly.

"Shall I show you," Reina offered, tilting her head and lifting a snowy brow.

The spotlessly dressed pureblood didn't have time to respond, Reina's small hand had risen off of her stomach and there were pained shouts of surprise from the nobles behind him. Blood scented the air, so strong that it was almost disorienting and when he turned to see what the commotion was, he was surprised to see that not a single noble remained. Eyes wide and teeth smashed together in fury, Daiki lost all control he had managed to keep over himself and flew at Reina with an animalistic shout.

Zero and Ken were suddenly in front of the white haired woman, Zero with his Bloody Rose drawn and pointed out before him while Ken had no weapon but his powers that he was gifted with as a pureblood that were still unknown. Loud bangs shattered the silence of the approaching night, but Daiki continued to advance, undeterred by the bullets that flew at him, but he evaded every single one effortlessly.

Ken merely lifted his right hand, his palm facing his father, but nothing seemed to happen until the attacking vampire hit what seemed to be an invisible barrier. There were sparks and a ripple of color, but nothing else as Daiki hit the barrier, growling at his son's impertinence.

"I know all of your tricks, do you think you can stand up against me my darling boy," Daiki inquired, his deep voice echoing with the anger in his eyes.

"Not all of them, father," Ken replied evenly, the hint of a smile on his lips.

Daiki narrowed his eyes at his son and then let his eyes slid from him to Reina's sapphire blue eyes, he didn't fail to notice the way the young hunter boy that had killed Rido moved just a little closer to her. "What a burden you must be to these children, Reina," he taunted, smirking when Reina's jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed. "Just like you were to your precious Ichijo."

Her hands trembled at her sides and she was struggling to keep her calm when Aido spoke up from behind her. "Reina is not a burden to any of us. She didn't ask us to come here, she never asks for anything. She would have been content if we had left her here to fight alone, but we're her friends and could never do that. We've never never felt burdened by knowing her, but thankful, just like Ichijo. Reina isn't like you, she's loved and always will be."

She could feel the sting of tears in her eyes as her hands stopped shaking and she was grateful to Aido for saying what he had. He knew that she always felt as if she were nothing more than a burden to everyone, that she blamed herself for Ichijo's death and so much more.

Reina noticed it first, the slight flutter of one of the elders' sleeves, but there was no time to react. Aido was sent flying through the air to slam into the manor and slid to the ground like a useless doll, leaving the wall a broken mess. Slowly she turned back around to stare coldly at the man who had been responsible for harming Aido, there was a dangerous and dark feeling mixing with her aura as she stared at the elder that had been to Daiki's right, he was tall, thick and his face was beginning to show signs of age, his dark brown hair was worn similarly to Ken's, tied at the nape of his neck. He was regarding Reina with slate gray eyes as she turned to him.

"Ah, so now we have your attention," the man drawled, his voice was smooth, polite. "What a pleasure it is to meet you Reina Tsukina, I am Kenichi, this would be my brother, Taiki," he said, introducing himself before gesturing to the other man who greatly resembled him, only was a bit shorter and thinner with short black hair and black eyes.

"And to what do I owe this little visit," Reina asked icily.

"We wanted your help my dear," Kenichi replied.

"My help, hmm?"

"Yes of course, now if you would be so kind as to die without much fuss, it would be greatly appreciated," Kenichi said smoothly.

"I'm afraid I'm not feeling very giving today."

"Is that so? What a shame, I would prefer to not have to do this, but you leave me no choice." Kenichi raised a hand and flicked his fingers in Reina's direction.

The ground exploded around her forcing Zero and Ken to leap aside as grass, dirt and chunks of earth flew into the air. There was a gust of wind and Reina's aura vanished completely. When the dirt and dust settled the white haired woman was nowhere to be seen.

"That was far too easy," Kenichi sighed.

Zero wasted no more time, he squeezed off five shots in quick succession. It didn't take long for Yagari to do the same, firing repeatedly at the two elders. Only two shots were landed, both on Kenichi, but the man didn't seem to even notice that was until he lurched forward, his eyes widening in shock. He coughed harshly, sending a spray of blood over the grass.

Everyone looked on in uncertainty until the man fell forward, revealing that Reina was standing behind him, her hand covered in blood and shiny red crystals of dust.

"Don't underestimate a woman. Especially one whose fiance is dead because of your meddling," she stated before the man erupted into a volcano of red crystals.

There was a deep silence for a moment, but it was broken when Daiki shouted out angrily and charged at Reina. A wall of ice and another of fire tried to block his path, but he merely swatted them away, Zero fired again and again as did Yagari, none of the bullets hit the crazed vampire. It was Cross that wounded him, appearing in front of him and landing a brutal blow to his chest with the beautiful sword that he held so gracefully in front of him.

"If you don't mind Cross, I'd like to have a few words with my beloved father," Ken said, stepping forward and smiling at the hunter.

Cross nodded, lowering his blade and stepping back.

Daiki glared at his son and raised a hand, snapping his fingers together. In an instant the meadow was full of vampires who readily charged at the hunters and noble vampires.

Reina's eyes widened and she disappeared from where she stood just as something shot past her, whatever it was missed her and tore into the ground several yards from where she had been standing. There was a mix of black and red smoke coming from where the impact had been. It didn't take her long to figure out who had been the responsible party, Taiki, the silent elder was staring blankly at the spot where the smoke was curling and writhing in the air. When Reina reappeared, a few feet away, his eyes instantly turned to her and another churning mass of energy flew at her.

She disappeared again, trying to find a way to get closer to the man, but no matter what she did and how well she hid her aura he seemed to find her the moment she began to reappear and another mass of energy would be shot at her. Yagari and Zero fired shot after shot at him and though the man never moved, not a single bullet touched him. It wasn't until Cross made to slash at the man that he finally moved, raising a hand to grab the blade of the sword, ignoring the sparks that Reina could see as blood poured from the cut to his palm.

Cross suddenly found himself flying backwards through the air, his weapon still in the hand of the pureblood. Without hesitation, Reina lifted her hand and waved it in the pureblood's direction. Dropping the sword, Taiki leapt over the line of spinning blades of wind, Reina immediately flew after him. They continued to exchange blows, but neither one could land anything on the other and just ripped the meadow and surrounding forest to shreds.

Flying and running at inhuman speeds the two purebloods fought while in the meadow a war seemed to be raging. There were flares of searing hot flames, waves of ice, showers of sparks, snaps of a whip, roaring sounds of gunfire and clashes of steel.

Reina was beginning to grow tired, a side effect of being very pregnant and not being used to using her new found strength for such extended periods of time, not to mention she hadn't had single drop of blood in almost eight months. She began to slow, the attacks she was using grew weak and she began to worry that if she didn't finish things soon, she would end up getting hurt, something she couldn't risk since she didn't want to bring harm to her unborn child.

There was a loud cracking sound and a familiar shout, Reina looked toward the field to see that Aido was clutching at his right arm, blood pouring over his fingers. Her moment of distraction proved to be nearly fatal, she narrowly avoided the blast that ripped the tree behind her apart. She couldn't avoid the shower of splinters that flew through the air, several of which buried themselves in her hands and arms.

Having expected Reina to swerve to the right, back towards the meadow, Taiki had already begun moving to stop her. He appeared in front of her, surprising her and causing her to come to an abrupt halt and crouch down defensively.

She flinched suddenly, groaning and putting a hand over her stomach, she fell to her knees.

"Reina," someone shouted worriedly as Taiki slowly advanced on her.

Trying to collect herself, Reina looked up and evenly met Taiki's eyes. She tried to focus and push him back with her will, but he seemed unaffected by her efforts. Just as his hand was about to reach for her, it was severed from his body by a quick flash of silver. He had been so focused on her that he hadn't noticed Cross and the man had been able to get close enough to deal some damage. There was a single shot fired as Cross stepped protectively in front of Reina and part of Taiki's left arm was blown away. The man growled and disappeared.

"Are you alright, Reina," Cross asked in concern, leaning down in front of the girl and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she answered, taking Cross' hand and letting him help her up. She stumbled slightly and Cross put an arm around her waist to steady, studying her worriedly the entire time.

"You should go inside, we can handle the rest," Cross suggested.

Reina didn't answer, but instead turned her head towards the forest, her eyes narrowing and her eyes flashing darkly. Cross followed her gaze and just as he looked up three people emerged from the trees, his attention was quickly removed from the three people when he was forced to let go of Reina to defend himself from an attack from a young nobleman. Reina was able to stay standing, the pain that had shot through her a moment ago forgotten as she focused on the only male in the group that had just appeared.

Sensing her eyes on him, Kaname looked away from the fights that were still raging on and looked over at Reina. She was pale, her hair was a windblown mess and she was protectively covering her stomach with her hands that were riddled with tiny scratches. They stared at one another, ignoring the ongoing battles until Reina let out a pained cry and clenched her eyes shut, falling back down onto her knees and wrapping her arms around her stomach.

She could feel him approaching her, moving swiftly, silently through the trees and the vampires that were fighting, but she couldn't move or even focus enough of her energy to do anything about Taiki's assault and Cross had his hands full with the three vampires that had attacked him. Taking several deep breaths, Reina tried to steady her nerves and her eyes snapped open just as Taiki appeared in front of her. She knew he wouldn't use any sort of magic to kill her, the fight was personal and he would want to use his bare hands. Thrusting her hand upwards, she managed to pierce his chest, but it wasn't a fatal hit and she had missed his heart by several inches.

Taiki grabbed her by throat, but that was all he could do before a thin line of blood appeared around his neck, like a grotesque necklace. The man's head began to tilt at an unnatural angle before he evaporated, leaving only his bloodstained clothes behind.

Wide eyed and relieved, Reina stared up at Kaname. The fighting around them stopped as Kaname turned his crimson eyes towards the battlefield. All of the remaining Takamora nobles raised their hands above their hearts and plunged their nails into their own chests, piercing the vital organ and killing themselves.

Daiki was the only vampire left that had no ties to Reina or Kaname and he stared in disbelief at the bloody scene before him. He hadn't expected to loss both of the family elders and a majority of the nobles, he hadn't expected any of it. In his mind, Reina was just a weak child that would fruitlessly run, but would be too slow to do anything about what he had thought was her certain fate.

"I suggest you leave now Daiki, if you want to keep your head, but come near her again and I will not hesitate to kill you," Kaname said monotonously.

"This is far from over, she killed my son and stole the other from me, I won't soon forget that," Daiki replied angrily. He vanished a second later in a swirling black cloud.

"Are you alright, Reina," Kaname asked leaning down to pick her up.

"Don't touch me," she hissed through her teeth.

"I'm sorry I was late, I hadn't expected them to-"

"Don't ignore me, Kaname," she snapped, slapping his hands away from her and glaring at him. She stood up on her own, dusting herself off as she did so.

Kaname simply stared at her, a loneliness and hurt in his eyes and that almost made her relent, but instead she brushed past him and towards the house.

"Thank you for your help Kaname, but you're presence isn't necessary here," she told him blandly as she passed him.

Zero turned away from the brown haired pureblood that was staring after Reina and followed the woman into the house while everyone else stayed in the meadow. The servants had gathered in the back entryway, they had been told to not get involved in the fighting, most were lower level nobles or average vampires, none had any special abilities and would have been more of a hindrance than a help. They watched Reina and Zero as the to passed them before turning their attention to the people outside. Midori was the only one to follow after her master and the lavender eyed hunter.

Walking through the quiet house, Reina made her way to the stairs, intending to go to her room to clean up and change, but she never made it up the stairs. She cried out and lost her footing as a shock of white hot pain lanced through her entire body. Only a step behind her, Zero caught her before she could fall backwards.

"Reina-sama," Midori exclaimed, rushing to Zero's side as he picked the girl up. "She's burning up, get her to her room," she ordered Zero after putting a hand on Reina's forehead, she turned and hurried back down the stairs to shout for Ken at the back door.

"What is it, what's-"

"It's Reina-sama, please come quickly, I think she's going into labor," Midori interrupted.

* * *

Hope that was ok, I haven't been able to write very good action sequences lately. It is one of the longest chapters of Tainted yet though.

I had forgotten to mention this originally, but for anyone who is wondering just what Ruka did during all of that, I wasn't sure what her powers were supposed to be since I don't remember anything being mentioned in the manga. I looked on wikipedia and according to the anime she has the power of mind control. When the three vampires first sent to attack Reina froze and were finished off by Aido and Kain, it was Ruka who made them freeze. So yay for Ruka, she helped.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, fave'd and alerted! You get cookies!

Please review!


	12. Chapter 12 New Beginnings

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**New Beginnings**

After getting Reina to her room and into her bed, Zero stayed by her side and waited for Midori to come back up, partly because he wanted to stay by the woman who was obviously in pain as she breathed raggedly and her forehead became coated in a thin sheen of sweat and partly due to the fact that she had somehow managed to get a hold of his hand and refused to let go. When Ken rushed in to the room instead of Midori, Zero scowled, he wasn't entirely fond of the other pureblood and his closeness to Reina. It was when Kaname walked into the room however that the young man winced when Reina nearly crushed his hand in hers.

"Get out," she hissed through her teeth, glaring heatedly at him.

"Reina-"

"Get out, Kaname," she yelled, a vase of flowers by her bedside shattering and spilling its contents everywhere.

Yuki was the next person to appear in the doorway, looking around her brother uneasily and flinching when Zero looked up at her coldly.

"Lets go Yuki, we're not wanted here," Kaname said, turning to steer Yuki from the room.

When Midori bustled into the room a moment later, her arms full of sheets and towels and followed by several others carrying hot water and more sheets and pillows she quickly gave orders for Reina to be lifted from the bed. Zero managed to get her off the bed and hold her while Midori and the other servant women quickly removed Reina's elegant bedding and replaced it with layers of crisp white sheets. Zero replaced Reina on the bed, propped up on a sea of fluffy pillows before Midori started pushing him out of the room, Ken too.

"You can come back in later, but for now, let us women handle this, ok," the older woman explained shoving the two out the door and slamming it on them.

The two looked at each other for a moment before Zero shrugged and walked downstairs, Ken following after him. He glared at Kaname when he stepped into the parlor where everyone had gathered.

"What are you still doing here, Kuran," Zero asked roughly.

"I'm sorry my presence is so disturbing to you Kiryu, but I don't need your permission to be here," Kaname replied coolly.

"Maybe not, but you do need Reina's and I remember her telling you to leave," Zero shot back.

"She can be angry at me all she wants, but I'm not leaving."

"Now, now boys," Cross interrupted, smiling from Kaname to Zero. "Why don't we all just try to get-"

"Shut up, Cross," Zero grumbled, turning his back on the now sulking blond that was muttering to himself about wanting to be called father by his beloved son.

The blond soon forgot all about his plight when he remembered that Yuki was present, a smile brightened his face and he engulfed the small girl in a tight embrace, ignoring the fact that she was struggling to get him to let her go.

Not wanting to be anywhere near Kaname or the rest of the house full of vampires, Zero took up leaning into the wall across the hall from Reina's room. He heard the myriad of sounds, the pained groans, the shouts as her body struggled to give birth to new life and the calm, low voices of her maids that were assisting her. He looked up in surprise when the door opened to reveal a young girl with pale brown hair and brown eyes, she smiled at Zero before waving him over, when all he did was blink at her, she sighed and shook her head.

"Tsukina-sama could use a friend by her side, since you're out here Midori asked me to get you," the young girl said, her voice as soft and quiet as the tinkling of a tiny bell.

"Wouldn't she rather have Aido or Ken?" Zero asked, not really wanting to be witness to the spectacle that was birth.

The girl lifted her brow at him with a small frown on her pretty, angelic face. "Don't tell me you're scared?"

Zero's lips twitched in annoyance. "Why would I be scared?"

"Because you're a wimp."

Growling at the girl, Zero stalked past her and refused to look in Reina's direction until he stood beside her. She was a mess, her hair was sticking to her sweaty forehead as she breathed rapidly, her hands clutching at the sheets she lay upon. Her legs were drawn up and covered with a white sheet, she was no longer in the same clothes she had been earlier, but a simple long sleeved nightgown.

"Here."

Zero blinked at the bowl that was thrust into his hands and the small beige cloth that lie inside of the water it held.

"Don't just stand there, use the towel to wipe her forehead," Midori ordered in exasperation.

Again, Zero just blinked at the bowl and nearly spilled the contents of it when Reina cried out suddenly and leaned forward, clenching her teeth together and squeezing her eyes shut. Finally snapping out of his stupor, Zero set the bowl on the bedside table and wrung out the cool cloth before applying it lightly to Reina's cheek and forehead.

Reina sighed at the feel of the cool, damp cloth against her feverish skin and laid back against the pillows, her eyes still closed. The muscles in her jaw tensed and her face pulled into a grimace as a wave of pain shot through her.

* * *

The minutes past and turned to hours as everyone, including Kaname and Yuki gathered in the parlor on the lower level of the house. They all had cups of tea before them that had long ago gone cold as they nervously waited for the shouting and frantic running around on the second level to come to a stop.

And when they did and a strange quiet descended over the room they all looked up and just barely heard the soft sounds of a baby crying. At first no one moved, just blinked uncomprehendingly at the door leading out of the parlor until Aido suddenly bounded from his seat and out of the room, followed by a giddy Kaien Cross and a curious Yuki who nervously followed after her adoptive father. Kain stood and offered a hand to Ruka who smiled and took it. That left only Shiki, who was fast asleep on Rima's legs as the young vampire girl stared down at him, debating whether to wake him or just shove him to the floor because she doubted that would wake him, Ken and Kaname as well as Yagari were the only ones left. Ken was studying Kaname as the man stared into his tea.

"Aren't you going to go," Ken asked Kaname.

"I'd rather not upset her right now," Kaname replied.

"I see. I should be going, I know she'll get angry at me if I take to long to see her," Ken said with a small smile.

Rima frowned, but finally decided to shake Shiki awake, when he grumbled at her and only snuggled against her again, she sighed before pushing the brown haired boy to the floor and standing up. The fall hadn't woken him, not that she was surprised and she rolled her eyes before making her way upstairs.

Ken couldn't help but to chuckle when he approached Reina's door, the birth of a new vampire was always a joyous occasion and everyone was gathered outside of her door, talking quietly amongst themselves as they waited to be given a chance to see the newborn child. They knew that it would be a few minutes before anyone was let in, giving the maids a chance to tidy up the room and Reina a bit before allowing anyone to see her.

When the door finally opened, Aido didn't even wait for the girl who had opened it to move, he just bounded past her and ran up to Reina who was holding a small bundle in her arms and smiling warmly. The blond vampire glared at Zero, who hardly noticed, he was still a little too lost in his own world. Sure birth was a miraculous event and all, but it sure as hell wasn't pretty in his opinion.

Everyone crowded around Reina who was now covered with a soft blue blanket, her hair had been brushed by Midori and a deep blue silk robe had been put over her nightgown. She looked up at everyone and smiled.

"Everyone this is Emiko," she said, tapping the child's button nose with a finger and smiling down at her when her finger was grabbed by tiny hands. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" Reina asked, stroking one of the little girl's round cheeks with a finger and earning a small giggle.

Cross squealed in delight, clapping his hands together as he stared at the mother and daughter. "Such a sweet child. You have to let me hold the little angel."

"Of course," Reina replied chuckled, a content smile on her face as she carefully let Cross take her squirming and giggling daughter from her hands.

"I wanna hold her too," Aido whined.

"So Hana, how does it feel to be an uncle now," Reina asked, laughing at the blank look that momentarily clouded the young man's face before a big lopsided grin took over and he chuckled and abashedly rubbed at his head.

"I'm an uncle now," he sang proudly, skipping over to where Cross stood cooing at the girl in his arms while Yuki smiled and ran a finger over the child's small hand.

"May I," Yuki asked, turning to Reina who nodded and smiled at her.

"Hey, she's my niece, I wanna hold her," Aido complained.

When everyone ignored him, but instead crowded around Yuki and the happily laughing and gurgling baby, Aido pouted but joined the group that was taking turns admiring the small little girl. She had round cherub like cheeks, a button nose, sapphire eyes and a mass of short blond hair. Having known Ichijo when he was younger, Aido could honestly say that the child did greatly resemble her father, but he refrained from saying so, not wanting to upset Reina in any way.

"Are you alright, Zero? You haven't really moved at all in awhile," Reina observed, looking over to the silver haired hunter.

Jolting as if she had surprised him, he blinked at her and shook his head. "Yeah, fine."

"Really, could have fooled me," Reina teased, amused by the fact that a hunter who was adept at killing found the birth of new life somewhat disturbing. She sighed as she looked over at her newborn daughter, catching Ken looking at her from where he stood behind Yuki, she smiled, unable to help but think that the two looked good together before realizing how incredibly tired she was as the world spun around her.

Ken's smile faded and he stepped away from Yuki to approach the bed. "Reina?"

"Hm?" She tried to blink, but found the effect rather dizzying and decided to keep her eyes closed instead and put a hand to her forehead, partially covering her eyes as she groaned.

Zero fully snapped out of the slight trance he'd been in and frowned as he looked down at Reina, he glanced at Ken as the man stepped up beside him, but didn't say anything when the man put a hand on Reina's cheek.

"She's burning up, but she's getting pale," he observed. "Reina?"

"I'm fine," she said, but her voice and the quiver in it gave her away.

Ken looked up at everyone who was know worriedly staring at the pureblooded woman in the bed. "I think it may be best if everyone left for now. Yuki why don't you take care of Emiko for now, I'll stay with Reina for the time being."

"I'm not going anywhere," Zero snorted when Ken turned to him. "Do you even know what's wrong?"

"I have an idea-"

"Then you know you can't help her," Zero cut in snidely.

Ken lifted a brow, but refrained from commenting back while there were still people in the room. He waited for everyone to leave, leaving only he and Zero with Reina. "And what makes you think you can," Ken asked smoothly.

His lavender eyes narrowed at the words that sounded more like a taunt than a simple, harmless question. "It wouldn't be the first time-"

"No, it wouldn't, would it Kiryu?"

Zero ground his teeth together as looked up at the crimson eyed man that was walking into the room, casually shutting the door behind himself. "What are you doing here, Kuran?" He growled.

Reina's reaction wasn't much different than it had been earlier, she lifted her hand from her eyes to reveal that they were glowing a pale red as she glared at her childhood friend. "Didn't I already tell you to leave, Kaname," she hissed venomously.

"Yes, but I decided to stay. I was worried."

"I don't care if you were worried," she snapped, ignoring the creaking of the glass of her bedroom window. "I am not your concern."

"You are my concern, Reina," he replied softly, approaching her bed slowly.

"No, I am not," she barked. "I'm just your burden, Kaname. Something you feel responsible for, so don't tell me you were concerned when it wasn't concern you felt, but guilt."

"Calm down, Reina," Ken suggested quietly, noticing the red glint in her eyes growing more intense and dangerous.

"Leave," she hissed at Kaname.

"I'm not leaving, Reina." He further advanced towards the bed, opposite the side where both Ken and Zero stood.

Ken was watching him carefully, but not distrustfully, Zero on the other hand looked about ready to jump over the bed and snap the man's neck.

"Would you two excuse us," Kaname said, flicking his eyes up at Ken before focusing on Zero who had no intention of leaving Reina alone with him.

"Reina," Ken asked, waiting for her answer before he left her side.

"If you still wish me to leave after we've talked, then I will," Kaname assured her.

"Fine," Reina answered, turning to nod at Ken who strode from the room. Zero however had no intention of leaving. "It's alright Zero, give us a moment. Kaname won't be staying long."

Not wanting to leave, but knowing better than to argue with her while she was still angry, Zero grunted and stalked from the room, glaring warningly at Kaname as he left.

"He's still attached to you I see," Kaname observed after the door clicked shut. "You would think he would have learned his place by now."

"He has. He's aware of the difference between us now and he's aware that as a lower level vampire it's his duty to protect me. The only one to not know there place, Kaname, is you."

"I don't expect you to forgive me, Reina, but you need blood."

A small hiss escaped through her teeth. "I have no intention of taking yours if that's what you're getting at."

"But you took Ken's."

"I wasn't aware of what I was doing at the time. I don't want his blood, I don't want Zero's and I don't want yours."

"Then whose do you want, Reina? Ichijo's? He isn't here to provide you with it any longer," Kaname replied.

Reina didn't even think about her actions, she just raised her right hand and let it glide harshly over Kaname's cheek. "Just because he isn't here, doesn't mean that I plan on drinking from you or anyone else. You know as well as I do that it would only be a temporary fix, the blood of a lover is the only thing that can fully quench a vampire's thirst, and I don't love you, Kaname," she stated coldly, her glowing eyes locked on Kaname's that seemed to be trying to hide the depths of the hurt that her statement caused him.

It was a moment before he replied, his voice quiet and longing. "But you used to, didn't you Reina?" He asked, lifting a hand to run the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened, the red glow dimming to little more than a soft shine. "Yes, I used to Kaname. I used to love you with all my heart and a part of me always will love you, but you abandoned me. Time and time again Kaname, you left me to deal with the aftermath of your decisions and the pain and havoc they created. I'm not going to drink from you."

"You've just given birth, Reina, to a beautiful little girl and you drained most of your energy in the fighting earlier. You need blood."

"How would you know what I need Kaname, you're never around long enough to be able to know what I do or do not need. I do not need your help, your guilt, I need you to go away, like you're so good at doing."

"And if I said I don't want to leave," Kaname inquired. "That I want to stay by your side, even if you hate me, even if you ignore me I want to be here for you like I should have been in the past."

Reina studied him for a few moments, she then frowned and shook her head. "Would you get me a glass of water, please?"

He bowed his head to her and gracefully turned to pour her a glass of water from a pitcher by the window. He picked up her pill case and walked back to her, offering them both to her.

"Thank you," she sighed, taking both items from his hands. "You're welcome to stay here Kaname, as is Yuki of course. Not only would my parents want it that way, but Takuma always hated it when we fought. I don't want to fight with you anymore, I don't even remember why we're fighting half the time. Besides I know that you and Yuki have been hiding out in the basement of your manor, and as nice as it may be, the poor girl doesn't deserve to be cooped up like that. It's not easy being so alone and she's dealing with a lot, it may be good for her to be around more of her own kind."

"So you don't want me to leave?"

Reina dropped several blood tablets into her water, watching as they fizzed and dissolved, turning the clear liquid a pale red. "I wouldn't say that, I'm not doing this for you, but for Yuki," she replied, remembering the small smile that she had on the girl's face while holding her daughter and looking up at Ken. They two were both purebloods and they were both free, it wasn't often that two purebloods had the chance to actually fall in love by choice and she hoped that perhaps the two, who both deserved some happiness, would be able to find it with each other.

* * *

Aido couldn't contain his glee at being an uncle and when he finally was able to hold his giggling niece, Emiko felt it necessary to grab onto his thumb and drain the ecstatic blond of a good deal of his energy. He swooned and was glad that Ruka was able to take the bouncing baby girl from his arms before he collapsed on to the couch.

"Did you see that, she likes me," he grinned as he wobbled on the couch.

"She's going to be a little troublemaker if she's taking that much energy already," Shiki spoke up, he was no longer on the floor, finding that it was an unsafe place to sleep with everyone walking around with the baby in their arms. He was now on the couch, boredly watching Ruka rock the baby while Rima tickled her chin.

"Well she is Ichijo's daughter," Rima replied.

"She's cuter than Ichijo, she looks like a little angel," Ruka said, rather oblivious to the way Kain was admiring her until she looked up and met his eyes, she blushed and looked away quickly, not having failed to notice that he was intently focused on her.

"If she's anything like Ichijo, the innocent look will get her out of most of the trouble she'll cause."

Everyone looked up as Kaname walked in the room, not sure what to say since they had felt Reina's constantly flickering aura not too long ago. They didn't want to risk angering him.

"Reina's asleep, I have a feeling she'll remain that way for awhile. Since I'm sure everyone would like to clean up, Yuki and I can look after Emiko for awhile," Kaname offered.

His statement seemed to remind everyone that they hadn't bothered to change after their earlier battles and they looked around to note with dismay that they were rather dirty. After a moment's thought, Ruka turned to Yuki who seemed rather surprised that the girl she had remembered being quite jealous and mean, was actually smiling and being nice to her. It freaked her out a little, but she smiled back and took the small bundle from Ruka so that the girl could go and clean up.

"She's so cute, don't you think Kaname?" Yuki gushed over the cute little girl she was holding.

"Beautiful, but with Reina as her mother, I'm not surprised. May I," Kaname asked.

"Y-you want to hold her," Yuki stuttered, apparently surprised that her big brother was interested in the child at all, he hadn't seemed like the type that liked children to her, but she had apparently been wrong.

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"Uh, no of course not."

* * *

"The child is a girl."

"Is that so," a golden haired woman asked, turning from the raised stone platform she had been staring at to look at the brown haired man behind her, the long fingers of his hand held above a bowl of water.

"The mirror doesn't lie," the man scoffed almost as if offended by the woman's innocent remark. Removing his hand from over the surface of the water, the man turned towards the center of the circular room they were in.

The walls were all of thick gray stone, there wasn't a single window and the smoke from the several candles that were burning around the room, drifted lazily around with no place to escape to. The light cast by the flickering flames was dim and just barely illuminated the stone platform in the center of the room. There was a body on the platform covered with a black cloth so that only the person's form was seen, not their features. It was the body of a man, obvious by the lack of womanly curves that a female body would have had.

"I'm not known for having much patience, how much longer," the woman asked, eying the body on the platform with interest.

"The boy is quite strong, not that I'm surprised, his family was always strong for not being of pureblood ancestry. It shouldn't be much longer...my son will finally be returned to me..."

"He may be your son, but he's never been good at doing as he was told."

"It's going to take time before he will be fully prepared for the task you wish him to perform, and he will perform it, he has never told you no after all. The body's original owner will struggle to regain control though, it would be best to wait until control has fully past to-"

"I may have mentioned this already," the woman cut in sharply. "I'm impatient. However, not all games are meant to be played in a hurry, are they my dear? You learned that the hard way, if only you had been more patient, but I suppose I shouldn't be speaking of patience...."

* * *

I had this finished a few days ago, but I was waiting, hoping that perhaps I would get a few more reviews for the last chapter since 4 reviews is the least amount I've had for a chapter, ever really. So I'm sad, sniff sniff.

Anywho thank you to the four of you who did review, I greatly appreciate it!

Please review!


	13. Chapter 13 Haunted

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight.

**Chapter 13**

**Haunted**

"He's awake."

The blond woman that stood staring out an open window, the lace curtains caressing her skin as she stared into the cloudy night, barely acknowledged the statement, but a slight twisting of her pale pink lips showed she was pleased by the news. "After one week he's finally awakened, how interesting this game will be..."

* * *

Reina sat in a wooden rocking chair in the nursery, a bundle of green and blue blankets in her arms as she slowly rocked the chair with the tips of her toes. Her daughter had long ago fallen asleep, but Reina didn't want to release the beautiful girl, she wanted to hold her as long as she could and cherish every moment of it. The moon was low in the cloud riddled sky outside, she could barely see it over the tops of the trees, but it was there, casting a pale and ghostly light on everything it touched.

Her mind wandered as she rocked her sleeping daughter, as she found it often did when she was alone with her while she slept. It had only been a week, but every night had been the same for Reina. She would wake up from her own slumber and without changing from her nightgown she would hold Emiko, rocking her until she fell asleep in her arms and then she would stare blankly outside while her daughter napped. And every night she would see the same face, though the scenarios weren't always the same.

Tonight she wasn't in the manor, but back in the Academy, in the large hall that was used for dances and other social activities. It was brightly decorated and dimly lit, girls danced and talked, showing off the dresses that they were wearing to the boys who had all remained in their school uniforms. The large glass doors that lined one side of the room were all open, allowing the cool night air to flow through the room and cool the flushed faces of the Day and Night students who were getting a chance to interact together for once.

She was dancing with Takuma, smiling up at him in his pristine white uniform as she ignored the jealous glares that half of the Day class girls were sending her way. She could feel the warmth of the hand on her waist, feel the safety that was provided by simply being so close to him as he tenderly looked into her eyes as they went through the steps of the dance, barely even hearing the music that was playing in the background. It wasn't the music that mattered, but the happiness and sense of belonging that mattered and made her sapphire eyes fill with salty tears that went unnoticed until something softly brushed against her cheek.

"Kaname?" She questioned in confusion, blinking up at the crimson eyed man that had just wiped one of her tears from her cheek.

"Emiko is sleeping Reina, why not leave her be for now and join the rest of us for dinner."

Looking down at the cherubic face of her daughter, Reina nodded and slowly raised herself from the rocking chair to gently lower the girl into her crib. "He never even knew... that he was going to be a father. He wasn't given a chance to know her, to see her and she will never know him. It's not fair," she said softly, tears once again filling her eyes as she smoothed the feathery hair on the baby's head.

"I think he would have been happy and knowing Ichijo, that's likely an understatement," Kaname replied with a small chuckle.

With a final glance at Emiko, Reina left her daughter's side and walked past Kaname without much thought or a glance in his direction. A spark of anger flickered through her when he followed her out of the room and down the hall to her own, she had tried to shut the door behind herself, but it wasn't difficult for Kaname to block the door and walk in after her.

"What do you want, Kaname," she asked, not bothering to turn and face him or otherwise acknowledge his presence as she went into her closet to change.

"To know how long you're going to keep me at a distance," he answered, leaning into one of the thick posts of her delicately crafted bed.

She didn't immediately answer his question, instead she finished getting dressed before walking out of her closet in pale gray slacks and a deep blue blouse. Running a brush through her hair, Reina stared at Kaname critically. "You've only been here a week and you're already wanting to know that? I wouldn't have thought that it would bother you so much, me not wanting anything to do. You expected this, didn't you?"

"You're right, I did, but I was hoping that I was wrong. That you would forgive me this time, just like you always have."

Letting their gazes stay locked for a moment longer, Reina sighed and shook her head. "This time is different. I don't want to forgive you like I used to, even if that means going against what those I loved wanted," she looked away as she finished, gazing out the window as she twisted her hair into a slightly sloppy bun and used a few pins she had been holding to secure it.

"I see," Kaname replied, taking a few steps towards her and slipping something from his pocket. Stepping behind her, he slid something into her hair before letting his fingers graze her shoulders. "Forgive me for bothering you, I'll see you downstairs." Bowing to her, Kaname elegantly strode from the room, quietly shutting Reina into the solitude of her room.

Sighing again, Reina turned to stare out of her window, catching a glimpse of the object that had been slipped into her hair in the window. It was the black diamond encrusted comb that Kaname had given to her as an early birthday gift but had been lost in her struggle with Ichio and Daiki Takamora. For a moment she though of removing the comb, but in the end decided to leave it in her hair. Running her fingers over the black diamond necklace that Takuma had given her the same night she had received the hair comb, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Would you be angry at me I wonder, if you were here, Takuma? No... You weren't one to get angry, you would probably smile that tired smile of yours and tell me that it was much simpler for you when Kaname and I got along. We caused so much trouble for you, didn't we...."

* * *

A musical, girlish giggle echoed off of the walls of the stone encased room, the only sound aside from the hushed burning of the candles that glowed throughout the room.

"Welcome back dear, it's been awhile, hasn't it?"

There was an annoyed, brutish grunt in reply as the blond that had been laying on the platform lifted the hand that had been covering his gray tinted green eyes so he could turn his gaze to the beautiful blond woman beside him.

"Couldn't you have chosen a different body," he asked gruffly.

"I suppose, but then our game wouldn't be as much fun," she replied with a deviously coy smile.

The man chuckled once and began to slowly push himself upright, swinging his long legs over the edge of the platform and holding himself up with his arms. "I guess this body will suffice, at the very least it should prove to be quite entertaining in the future."

* * *

Reina yawned, crinkling her nose and shaking her head in an effort to try and stay awake. Emiko was in playing on the floor at her feet, her tiny hands grasping at a plush blue and white cat shaped rattle that Aido had given her. Several other items lay around her, completely as the girl shook and turned the cat in her little hands around again and again. Stroking her daughter's dusting of silky blond hair, Reina repressed another yawn an glanced out the nearest window to see that sun was already a good way up in the sky.

"You're just like your father, you know that," Reina sighed, resting her head against the padding of the rocking chair and keeping her eyes on Emiko. "He didn't seem to realize that vampires are nocturnal and prefer to sleep while the sun is up. It seems you're going to be the same way." Emiko giggled up at her and Reina sighed again. "Of course you think it's funny that your mother hasn't slept in days and is talking to herself yet again."

She went back to watching Emiko, blocking out everything else as she focused on her daughter. She glanced to the door of the nursery as it opened and Kaname walked in, he was dressed casually in a pair of loose, but slim fitting dark jeans and a black button up. Other than glancing at him as he walked into the room, Reina ignored his presence.

"You should rest, you haven't slept in almost two days, Reina," Kaname said, running the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

Turning her head away from his touch, Reina looked up at the man that was standing over her. "Did you need something, Kaname?"

"Go and get some rest, let Midori and the maids look after Emiko."

"She's my daughter I have no intention of passing her off to someone else."

"I'm not telling you to pass her off to someone else Reina, as much as you'd like to, you can't do this alone and no one thinks badly of you for that. Let us help you, you need to take of yourself too, not just Emiko," Kaname replied.

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine, Reina," he countered.

Reina ignored him, she had no intention of arguing with him at the moment, not while Emiko was only a few feet away from her. Kaname understood this and remained silent as well. It was a moment later when the door opened, revealing Midori and another woman, Setsuka, who would be like Midori was to Reina. The only difference would be that while Midori had been the main person responsible for raising Reina, Reina would actually partake in her daughter's life much more than her parents had partaken in hers.

The two women bowed to Reina and Kaname, Reina nodded and wordlessly stood from the rocking chair, content to leave Emiko in the care of the two women for the time being. Brushing past Kaname, she gracefully strode from the room, her bare feet making little noise as she walked down the hall to her bedroom. Being that she was in navy blue slacks and a white and silver striped tank top, she went directly to her closet to change into a pair of silky pink drawstring bottoms and a plain white tank top.

As she had expected, Kaname followed her into her room and waited for her to change, taking a seat on the velvety armchair that Reina had had placed in her room since there was no place to sit aside from the small bench beneath her window and she had a feeling the chair would come in useful. When she walked out of her closet, she pulled the few pins that had been holding her hair into a rather sloppy bun from her hair and set them on her nightstand. Pulling back her sheets, she took a seat on the edge of her bed, her back to Kaname as she removed her engagement ring and the black diamond necklace she wore and set them both into a red velvet lined box in the top drawer of her nightstand. She then lied down and pulled the sheets over herself, she had every intention of ignoring Kaname for as long as possible.

She could feel the crimson eyes watching her, roaming over her slim shape beneath her bedding and hear his even breathing, it was his breathing that ended up lolling her into a peaceful sleep. He would be gone when she awoke several hours later, but she would find a single black rose lying atop her nightstand.

* * *

"It's been one year, since that day," Reina said with a sigh as she stared out the window of the parlor. "So much has changed in that time, it's almost unreal."

Ken was sitting on the couch a book in his lap that was ignored as he too looked out the window at the dreary, rainy weather. "The events of that day itself were all unreal. Rido was killed, as was the Council and the former Hunter's Association president."

"And Takuma," Reina added softly.

"And Takuma," Ken repeated quietly with a small nod and regretful smile.

Reina was silent for several moments before heaving a wistful sigh and turning away from the window and taking a seat on the couch opposite Ken.

"It seems Kaname has a meeting set up with the Hunter's Association next week to try and begin the process of coexisting peacefully with humans. There is still technically no official leader for the Association to look up to, but it seems that for the time being Cross is acting as a sort of stand in and oddly enough, if the rumors are correct, Zero may be considered as a potential candidate for the future president. Either way it would be a bit ironic if either one of those two, Cross or Zero, actually became the president of the Association. Zero is a former human vampire and there's a reason why Cross has the nickname of the vampire without fangs as well."

The door to the parlor opened and Kaname strode elegantly into the room, Reina glanced at him briefly before choosing to ignore his presence and continue her conversation.

"Anyways, things may actually become less tense soon and when that happens I'm hoping to be able to go back to living my peaceful and boring life alone with Emiko."

"You make it sound as if we're annoyances to you," Ken observed.

"You're not an annoyance at all," she replied evenly, a slight emphasis on 'you're'.

"But I am, aren't I," Kaname spoke up as he took a seat beside Reina.

"No," Reina replied blandly, standing up from her spot. "In order for someone to annoy another person then there needs to be some sort of relationship between them and we have none." With nothing further to say she walked from the room, leaving the two men in a state of silence.

"Give her time, she'll come around, regardless of what she says, she cares very much about you," Ken said to the brown haired man across from him.

"I'm glad you think so, but I know her quite well and if she's determined to hate me, then she will," Kaname replied, picking up a section of the newspaper that was on the table between the couches. "That does not mean , however, that I plan on giving up."

Ken smirked at Kaname, nodding his head in understanding. "I don't blame you."

* * *

"You want me to go with you," Reina asked incredulously, giving Kaname a look that clearly stated how ridiculous she thought his request was.

"I would like it if you did, yes. There will be many of the Association's members present, it would be nice to have several of our own race present. As the representative of the entire vampire race I would like to have others who share my hopes with me so that the Hunters will know I'm serious."

"Then take Aido, Kain, Ruka, Shiki, Rima or even Yuki. I have no desire to go anywhere with you."

"Yuki is still very sensitive around humans, she's unused to her own heightened senses and abilities. As for the others, Aido and Kain will be joining, as will Seiren of course, but it would be nice to have another pureblood-"

"Then ask Ken," she cut in abruptly, folding her arms over her chest and leaning into the soft cushions of the chair across from the desk in the office.

Entwining his fingers and resting his chin across the steeple they made as he rested his elbows on the desk, Kaname sighed and took a moment to look over Reina. She was dressed rather plainly today in a pair of black slacks and a simple, fitted gray t-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a bun and secured with a several hidden pins and decorated with the black diamond encrusted comb he had given her. The gesture though it may seem simple since the comb was quite expensive and beautiful was enough to tell him that despite the cold and harsh front she was portraying while around him, she didn't hate him as much as she wanted him to believe.

"Ken isn't as popular as you are. You are the heir to the Tsukina name and your parents' good deeds are well known in both the human and vampire worlds. The Takamora's have never been known for doing anything that didn't benefit them," he paused to hold up a to silence Reina who looked about to object on Ken's behalf, she glared at him before turning her head to stare out the window. "That isn't to say that Ken is like the rest of his family, but he is still a Takamora and there is nothing that can change that fact. He may not be anything like his family, but in his current situation he is unable to change the way his family is run and because of that he would do no good coming with me. The Association would never believe that he could change the Takamora family while his father is still alive."

"So you would like to use me as a tool to make you look better?"

"No, my intention isn't to use you, Reina, but to ask for your help in creating a peaceful world that Emiko can grow up in without worry. All I am asking is that you accompany me to meet with the Association and provide any opinions that you feel are necessary. I know how much you want there to be peace between our races, I would have thought that you would have wanted to come."

Grinding her teeth together in response to the mention of Emiko, Reina continued to deliberately avoid looking at Kaname. "Fine," she finally said, standing swiftly from her seat and gliding towards the door, pausing as she twisted the bronzed knob to look over her shoulder. "I'll go along with you, but my reasons have nothing to do with you. Takuma wanted peace and he would want me to go, he would want to be there as well, but since he can't, then I'll have to do. Don't expect much from me, I certainly won't be coming to your rescue should things turn sour."

Kaname smiled lightly at her. "That's alright, I wouldn't want you to, nor would I ever expect you to."

Clenching her fists at her sides, she pulled the door open and left the room quickly. Leaving Kaname thinking that perhaps her indifference towards him wouldn't last as long as he had originally thought. She was offended that he didn't want her to help him if things did indeed turn sour, she would step in and they both knew it regardless of what she might say.

* * *

Reina ran the backs of her fingers over the soft cheeks of her sleeping daughter, smiling at the way the small infant tossed her head and fidgeted. "I'll be back in a few days, be a good girl for Ken and Yuki," she uttered quietly before taking one last lingering look at her child and walking from the room. "Hana, what are you doing up here, isn't everyone already outside?"

Standing upright from where he had slouched against the wall near the staircase, the blond boy smiled warmly at her and held his arm out to her. Shaking her head, Reina stepped forward and wrapped her arm around his.

"You didn't have to come up here and wait for me," she told him as thye descended the stairs.

"I wanted to. You've never had to leave Emi before and I thought that you could use a friend."

"Thank you, Hanabusa."

Beaming at her and blushing, he giggled boyishly and continued leading her outside and to the waiting cars. The winter wind whipped through her loose waves and made her white and black plaid wool coat flutter around her knees. Her black slacks clung to her legs as her stylish black heels clicked against the stones of the walkway leading to the cars. Kaname was waiting outside of one of the immaculate old fashioned black limos, his long brown trench like coat hugging his slender frame as his hair swam around his face haphazardly. He smiled to Reina and offered her his hands which she ignored without a hint of care as she lowered her head and stepped into the car, taking the seat across from the silent Seiren, who she had a tendency to forget was always around.

"How long is the drive expected to take," Reina once Hanabusa and Kaname had both seated themselves with Hanabusa beside her and Kaname beside Seiren.

"It's about a seven hour drive just to the manor that we have been given permission to use as our residence while we're in talks with the Council. From there it's only a short walk to the Headquarters," Kaname answered.

"Whose manor is it that we're using, no noble would buy a home so close to the Association," Reina pointed out monotonously.

"It's a manor that Cross acquired sometime ago."

Reina snorted, shaking her head in disdain. "For a simple Hunter, he has acquired some very interesting things," she stated mockingly.

"Well Cross never was simple," Kaname spoke up with a small chuckle that made Reina want to gag at the implied innocence he was projecting.

"Yes, I'm aware," Reina muttered .

* * *

Being that she hadn't been getting as much rest in the recent months since having Emiko, Reina was lulled to sleep by the quiet hum of the car engine and the thrum of the tires against the pavement. She had leaned into Hanabusa's side, curled up against him with her legs tucked beneath her. Not being all that tired, Hanabusa stared out the window rather boredly and watched the scenery pass by them. One of his arms was around Reina's slender shoulders and his other was propped up against the window, supporting his chin as he stared outside.

With the length of the ride being so long, it had been decided that they would stop to eat in a well-known upscale restaurant in one of the more wealthy towns that they would be passing through. When they pulled into the restaurant's beautifully landscaped driveway, Reina had still not awoken and she looked so peaceful that Hanabusa didn't want to wake her, he would have been content to stay in the car with her had he not skipped breakfast that morning in order to sleep in just a little while longer and wasn't so hungry. He chuckled as his stomach growled and looked back down at Reina's sleeping form, frowning since he didn't want to move and wake her, but he wanted eat and he couldn't just leave her in the car alone.

"It's alright Aido, I'll stay with her, I'm not hungry anyways, go and join the others," Kaname spoke up, startling the blond who was lost in his own indecisiveness.

"Ehh..." He blubbered, looking up at Kaname who was smiling in a very reassuring way at him and then back to Reina. He was no fool, he knew that Reina would not want him to leave her with Kaname, but he couldn't exactly deny Kaname. It was quite the dilemma for the blue eyed boy, either risk Reina's wrath later or have Kaname think he didn't trust him or respect him.

Seeing the boy's obvious unease at having to choose between eating and leaving Reina with him knowing that she'd likely be unhappy or staying and not eating though he was hungry and possibly annoy himself, Kaname chuckled. "Don't worry Aido, she won't be mad at you. I promise, but if you'd rather stay with her then that's fine, I can always bring something for you to eat on the way."

Terrified by the idea of making the pureblood _king_ of their race do anything for him, a humble nobleman was a bit too much for Aido and he relented, hanging his head in despair at the thought of what Reina would do to him later. "Uh, n-no, I'll go in and eat with everyone else."

"Good, enjoy your meal," Kaname replied, smiling and making Aido shiver, it was too weird to see Kaname smile and it freaked him out a little.

Carefully removing his arm from around Reina and gently holding her body up so that he could slip from his seat and let Kaname take it, Hanabusa took a final look at the two purebloods and left the car, hoping that Reina wouldn't wake up before he could get back and switch places with Kaname. Though he wasn't really sure the pureblood would let him...

"What's the matter with you," Kain asked his unusually mopey cousin as they walked to the restaurant entrance.

"Reina's gonna kill me. Kaname-sama smiled at me. I'm scared," he mumbled morosely as he slouched his way into the plain yet lavishly decorated restaurant with its darkly tinted windows that encased the entire building so that the patrons could look out across the exquisite gardens and koi ponds surrounding the property.

Kain blinked after his sulky cousin, not quite sure what to make out of his mumbled words. After a moment, he simply shrugged and walked into the restaurant figuring it was just another of his strange tantrums.

* * *

Soft, light caresses against her cheek made her flutter her eyes open and look up at the smiling face of the green eyed man whose lap she had fallen asleep on. The man was lovingly looking down at her, his beautifully clear green eyes showing the honest and deep affection he had for the woman that smiled back, lifting a hand from her side to place it on one of the handsome man's cheeks and run her thumb over it to feel the familiar smoothness of the skin beneath her fingertips.

"It's about time you woke up, sleepy head," he said to her cheerily, tapping her on the nose as if to scold her.

"Oh shut up, Takuma, you're the one who never lets me sleep anymore," Reina replied poking him on the forehead as she glared teasingly up at him before laughing when he pouted cutely.

"I'm sorry, but you weren't exactly complaining at the time," he countered indignantly.

"Why would I," she asked, letting her hand glide through his silky blond hair and pulling his head down to hers so that their lips could meet in a sweet kiss.

"Apparently because you're not getting enough sleep," he joked with a snicker as he pulled his lips from hers and rested his cool forehead against hers.

"Maybe I wouldn't need so much sleep if I didn't have such an overactive husband and a daughter who is just like him. Keeping up with the trouble the two of you cause isn't a walk in the park, you know." Tickling his sides, Reina sat up when Takuma giggled and tried to fold in on himself and hide from her probing fingers. "I swear the two of you have enough energy to power an entire country and I most certainly do not."

Trying to pout, though he was still red in the face from her attack on his sides, Takuma attempted to give her an apologetic smile. "It's not like we do it on purpose."

Lifting a brow incredulously and turning to her lover, she asked, "Are you serious? You're telling me that last week you and Emi didn't purposely decide to keep me up until well after the sun had risen just to watch the Ouran High rerun marathon and eat every flavor of pocky imaginable? Or that last month when the two of you decided that we needed a family vacation to the beach of all places, it wasn't just so you could see me get angry at the fact that I wanted to sleep during the day but was instead dragged to an overly sunny beach. We're vampires, Takuma and I don't like being in the sun. It makes me grumpy."

"You sound like Aido," Takuma chuckled.

Reina rolled her eyes and made to stand up, but was halted from doing so by a tug on her left hand that was captured in Takuma's strong grasp. With a small squeak, she fell into his lap and glared at him despite the warm, innocent smirk he was giving her.

"We just like spending time with you and-"

"Seeing me suffer," she cut in.

Acting as if her words had offended him, Takuma feigned a look of surprise and gave her a serious look. "We would never want to see you suffer."

"Unless you thought it would provide the two of with you entertainment."

"How could you imply such a thing? It's really not very nice."

"Then maybe you should stop smiling, you fool," Reina retorted, slapping him on the shoulder playfully.

"But you look so cute when you're angry," he tittered.

Reina sighed and shook her head. "Really. You two are absolutely troublesome. Why can't the two of you just behave yourselves and let me have a moment or two of peace now and then?"

"Because we love you too much," Takuma beamed, nuzzling his nose against her neck.

"I love you too, but you owe me for all the trouble you've caused."

"Hmm," he hummed thoughtfully. "I wonder how I should make it up to you..."

"Well, you could start by kissing me," she told him softly.

"I guess I could do that," he said, lowering her head and letting there noses touch lightly before catching her lips in his and letting his tongue flick against her bottom lip.

Smiling against his lips, Reina parted her lips and tilted her head, wrapping her arms around him as their tongues began a slow and hungry dance. When his lips left hers and trailed warm kisses along her jaw and up to her ear, Reina sighed contentedly and couldn't help but smile and think that her lips would never again be able to do anything else but that.

Until Takuma's lips reached her ears and his breath tickled the sensitive skin of her neck as he nipped at her ear lobe and uttered words she never thought she'd hear from his lips. "I'll kill you and our daughter, just you wait and see."

Sucking in a deep breath, her eyes flew open and sat bolt upright in her seat a hand clutching at her chest and the silky fabric of her red scoop neck top, the sleeves of which were long and reached her thin wrists, but were made in such a way so that they were open, slit from her shoulders to her wrists. Her chest heaved beneath the shirt, rising and falling rapidly as she struggled to take in a deep breath, she could feel the warm, salty water of tears building up in her eyes and with a small, shaky whimper they slid down her cheeks.

Strong arms were wrapped around her, holding her to a hard chest while a calming hand stroked her hair and put her head upon their shoulder. Not even realizing, nor caring at the moment who the person was, Reina let them comfort her and huddled against the warmth of their body. The hands that held her were so gentle and careful she couldn't help but to feel at ease and the person holding her was emanating such a comforting yet strong aura that she felt protected and wanted to grasp on to that feeling and never let it go. Instead she grasped onto the man holding her, burying her head in their neck and clutching to the fabric of their black collared tunic like shirt that left part of their chest exposed.

As she calmed down and her senses slowly began to come back to her, she realized that there was no way that the person she was clutching onto was Hanabusa. Though she hadn't originally cared who had been holding her in such a protective and caring way, she did now and as she took one last deep breath to calm her nerves, she inhaled the masculine scent of none other than Kaname. Her fingers flexed unconsciously in her silent anger, her nails biting into the flesh beneath the man's shirt and her teeth smashing together.

Pushing herself away from the other pureblood, Reina tossed her head and refused to look at him as she increased the distance between them and glared heatedly out the window. "Thank you," she said stiffly through her clenched teeth.

"You're welcome, but just what happened, Reina? You were sleeping so peacefully," Kaname told her, reaching a hand towards her to let his fingers glide through her hair.

She snapped around, swatting his hand away from her and ignoring the depth of loneliness that was in his eyes as he looked at her. "It's none of your business."

Kaname moved towards her, his face expressionless as her eyes narrowed and her aura became full of anger and spite. "How many times must I tell you," he began quietly, raising a hand towards her cheek.

Hissing, Reina attempted to slap the hand away from her, but her wrist was caught in a crushing grasp, she tried to use her other hand to push him away but that hand too was caught and pinned above her head against the curtained window of the car. Holding both of her hands in one of his, Kaname let his free hand glide down to her cheek

"We both know that you won't hurt me, regardless of how you act and what you say, you love me and I will patiently wait for you to realize that," he stated before leaning forward to kiss away the remnants of the tears she had shed. He released her hands, letting them fall into her lap limply as she stared at him.

At first, she wasn't sure how to respond, a part of her wanted to reach out for her childhood friend and smooth the lines of worry from his forehead, but another part of her wanted to prove that she wasn't the same little girl he had always known and had always loved. Without much thought, her right hand lashed out and harshly collided with the surface of Kaname's left cheek, all signs of anything that could be construed as uncertainty or remorse vanished from her face and was replaced by a look of absolute coldness. She raised her chin in the air and straightened her shoulders as Kaname stared at her wordlessly, but clearly surprised as he raised a hand to his cheek and gather up a small amount of the warm liquid he could feel spilling from a thin cut that one of Reina's nails had inflicted upon him.

He studied the liquid on his fingers for a moment and then looked back up at Reina and the overly prideful way she was holding herself. "It seems I was wrong, I'm sorry for having disturbed you, I'll ride in the other car for the remainder of the drive."

Watching Kaname's lithe body move as he gathered his coat and opened the car door to step elegantly from the vehicle, Reina could show no emotion aside from a pride filled anger. It wasn't until the car door was shut, leaving her alone in the confines of the back of the spacious limo that had all of the curtains of the windows in the back drawn and the tinted glass that separated the driver from his wealthy employers that her head fell into her chest as if she could no longer muster the strength to hold it up. Her hands fisted in her lap and tears filed her eyes, dripping down her face to dampen her pale hands and the fabric of her black slacks.

* * *

And the timeskipping has began.

At this point Emiko's three months old and a whole year has passed since the incident at the Academy. I hope this chapter was satisfactory, I've been caught up between writing this, reading Ouran High School Host Club and writing bits and pieces of future chapters that have been stuck in my head. I know everyone wanted some romance and there was a tiny bit in there, but there will be more soon, promise. I don't remember if I had previously mentioned this, but I was recently promoted and now work a full 40 hour week supervising the front desk at the hotel I work in, so I don't have nearly as much free time as I did before. So please be patient with me, I won't be abandoning any of my stories, I'm actually planning more when I should be working on finishing everything in progress first... -_-'

Thank you to the 7 of you who took the time to review the previous chapter, I greatly appreciate it!

Please review and let me know what you think, I haven't been getting a lot of feedback recently and I like to hear what my readers think, so please reivew!


	14. Chapter 14 Selfish Desires

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 14**

**Selfish Desires**

The remainder of the drive to the Gothic styled mansion that was surrounded by rose gardens and beautiful green willow trees was silent, Reina was lost in her own world as she stared out of the car window and the aura she was giving off told the others in the car, Hanabusa, Kain and Ruka to leave her be and not disturb her. As the cars pulled to a stop before the mansion, the door Reina was beside opened and a pale hand reached in to help her from the vehicle. She took the hand with a small sardonic snort as her pink lips twisted upwards ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Zero," she offered to the silver haired young man that helped her from the car. He was dressed in nice dark wash jeans and a beige button up shirt that was left open over a sky blue shirt.

His only response to her as a muffled grunt as Hanabusa stepped out of the car a stubborn look on his face and Reina's coat in his arms.

"What are you doing here," Hanabusa snottily asked Zero as he stepped to Reina to offer her coat. Instead, he wound up squeaking in fear and jumping back in surprise when both Zero and Reina gave him looks that clearly said they weren't in the mood for his attitude.

"I'll show to your room," Zero grumbled to Reina, shoving his hands in his pockets and stalking away from her.

Reina followed after Zero, not caring about the looks she was getting from the other vampires or Kaname.

"R-Reina glared at me," Hanabusa pouted.

Kain clapped his cousin on the shoulder in an attempt to console the discouraged, spoiled noble. "It's your own fault, you don't know when to keep quiet," he pointed out, making Hanabusa sink even further into his own world of despair, which disappeared quickly when Shiki and Rima walked up to them, both chewing on sticks of chocolate pocky.

"Where'd you get that," he asked curiously.

Shiki shrugged and Rima was left to answer the question. "It was in your coat pocket, it fell out when we were leaving the restaurant."

"You stole my pocky," he shouted angrily.

"We didn't steal it. You lost it," Rima replied.

"Well give it back," he demanded stubbornly.

Rima shrugged, reaching into Shiki's coat pocket and pulling out a long red pocky box and handing it the blond.

"Thank you," Hanabusa said stiffly, stomping off towards the mansion.

"How long do you think it'll take him to realize it's empty," Shiki asked boredly before yawning lazily.

"Hey, it's empty!" Came a disgruntled shout from inside the mansion.

"I'd say he figured it out," the pig tailed red head answered, looping her arm with Shiki's so they could lean on each other as they made their own way inside.

Kain shook his head with a sigh, noticing that Ruka was giving him a strange in the process he looked down at her and asked, "What?"

"Nothing, but he's your cousin."

"Don't remind me," Kain mumbled.

* * *

"So what did he do this time," Zero asked as he sat in an old fashioned bright red upholstered chair in the room he had led Reina to.

Reina took a moment to settle herself onto a fairly small brown leather couch with wood accents on the feet and arms before answering the question. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied casually, smiling as she leaned back and folded her arms over her chest.

Zero tweaked a brow at her, the rest of his face remaining as blank as usual. "Really, so there was no reason why Kuran was in the other car even though his stench is all over you?"

Her eyes instantly narrowed at the lavender eyed vampire across from her, her aura becoming mixed with anger. "If I wreak so badly, then perhaps you should leave," she growled.

"No."

"Then what do you want?"

Silence fell over the room for a moment, the only sound was of the wind sighing through the old windowsill.

"Did he hurt you," Zero asked and though he asked calmly, his hands had fisted in his lap and his voice was on the verge of cracking with anger.

"No," Reina answered after taking a brief second to study Zero. "He merely got too close for comfort, he's learned his lesson though."

"Good."

"The talks with the Association, are they really willing to begin a reform?" Reina inquired.

Zero nodded, leaning his cheek onto his closed fist. "Yeah. Cross will be acting as the head of the Association for now, but all decisions must first be finalized and approved by other members of the Association."

"And what's your roll in all of this?"

He looked her squarely in the eye as he replied monotonously, "To watch over everything and everyone involved and take whatever actions need to be taken to protect both sides."

"Interesting," Reina mused. "Is that all?"

"No. I'm to begin preparations for becoming the next Association president and so I need to have thorough knowledge of the arrangement that will be made between the two races."

"This just keeps getting more and more interesting. A vampire as the head of the society that kills vampires, how... ironic."

"I'm the strongest Hunter, regardless of the fact that I'm not human," Zero replied.

"So you plan on remaining a Hunter," Reina asked.

"That's what I am."

"No, it's how you were raised and it's what your family has called themselves for generations. You are no longer just a simple, human Hunter. You're a _former_ human that has been turned into a vampire and who has the blood of several different purebloods flowing through your veins so that you won't go insane as most former humans would. Then again, the Hunters aren't fully human either, long ago they ate a vampire to inherit some of their power and all Hunter families still have some of that blood lingering in their own."

"I won't turn away from my family. I am a Hunter before I'm a vampire," Zero stated with an almost icy edge to his voice.

Reina smiled brightly, lightening the dark atmosphere that had settled over them. "Well, at least you're determined."

Sighing and rolling his eyes at the sudden change in her attitude, Zero decided to let her be her annoying self and change the topic. "So if all Kuran did was get too close, why are so upset still? Why do you always look so surprised when I pick up on how you're feeling, I'm a vampire and we have a _bond_ after all."

"True, I guess I shouldn't be surprised," she said, letting her eyes move from Zero to stare at her hands in her lap. The smile had fallen from her face and she was exuding confusion and hurt in waves. "I fell asleep on the way here and I had a dream. It was such a nice dream at first, I was with Takuma and it was like things had never changed and he had never...never.. He said he would kill me and Emiko. It was so real, I was so happy until he uttered those words and I woke up. I know it was just a dream, but that's the second one I've had in which the Takuma I knew and love morphed into some twisted version of himself. It's frightening and it hurts so much to see him in such a horrifying way when he's not like that, he's kind and loving and-"

"And he would never hurt you or Emiko," Zero cut in.

Reina's eyes widened, letting the tears that had filled them spill from the sapphire pools that looked up at Zero with surprise.

"That person would never hurt you, he would have killed himself before even thinking of harming you. It was just a dream," Zero said.

She smiled halfheartedly, remembering that the young man in front of her was capable of being supportive and caring in his own way. "It was just a dream," she repeated.

* * *

"It's been a whole week, Kaname," Reina said harshly as she entered his room without so much as a knock, slamming the door behind her. "One week and not a single thing has been decided, I have a daughter I'd like to return to. This was only supposed to take a few days."

"I'm sorry to be inconveniencing you so much, but if we want peace between our two worlds then we have to be patient," Kaname replied, striding out of his own personal bathroom in nothing but a pair of black slacks that sat precariously low on his slim hips.

Determined to be angry with him or not, Reina couldn't help but admire the beauty of the handsome man before her and when she realized the strange look he was giving her, she clenched her jaw and tore her eyes away from him. "I want to go home," she said stiffly.

"Soon."

"That isn't good enough," she snapped. "I am not needed here, but I am needed at home. I'm leaving tomorrow morning, I'll make all the arrangements myself."

"That won't be necessary," Kaname replied before she had the chance to stalk from the room. "No one is to leave until the terms have been set, this place is secret as is the contents of the meeting. I'm afraid that you can't leave until this is finished."

"And if I do?"

"Then it's likely that I will ruin every chance we have at peace to make sure that no Hunter lays a single finger on you." His tone was ripe with the depth of just how serious he was and it made Reina pause by the door. "I'm sorry, Reina."

She shook her head and took a deep breath, saddened by the fact she wouldn't be returning home as soon as she had wanted. "You're always sorry, Kaname" she said softly as she opened his door and left his room.

* * *

Reina shivered as another chill wind blew the hair of her ponytail around her face and tickled her neck. Not wanting to be under the same roof as Kaname, she had taken to wandering around the immaculate gardens of the grounds. She had settled herself on a marble bench that looked over a small patch of well kept red roses and a bubbling three tiered fountain, she was watching the plants sway in the wind and listening to the serene sound of the fountain and ignoring everything else.

She glanced up when she felt Zero approaching her, he was dressed for the weather in brown leather boots, jeans and a long brown trench coat that Reina was quite positive was the same one that was usually worn with the Cross Academy uniform during the winter. His light hair was being tossed around in the wind, but he seemed unaffected by it as he approached her.

"You're going to freeze if you sit out here much longer," he told her as he took a seat beside her.

"I think I'll live," she replied blandly.

"Then why are you shivering?"

"Was there something you wanted, Zero," she asked with little emotion as she turned her sapphire eyes to meet his.

"You fought again, with Kuran," he said.

She sighed, but nodded.

"You don't like being mad at him, do you? You can't stand having to force yourself to hate him, so why do you do it?"

"I'm not forcing myself."

One of his eyebrows rose challengingly.

"I'm not," she repeated heatedly. "And what does it matter to you, you loathe that bastard more than I do."

"True, but that's only because you don't hate him. You've never been able to, you've said so yourself."

"Is there a reason for your sudden interest in how I treat Kaname," Reina inquired coldly, shivering as another gust of wind blew through the garden. Unlike Zero, she wasn't dressed for the weather, she was in beige slacks and a blue turtleneck, but she had no coat.

Standing up, Zero undid the buttons of his coat, shrugging out of it and tossing it over Reina's shoulders, ignoring her attempt at an icy glare as he did so. "If you care about him then why not stop acting so harsh towards him?"

"Because I don't want to. I may not hate him, but I have no intention of relenting. He's brought this upon himself, it's time he saw that there are consequences to his actions and that I'm not the same forgiving little girl he thinks I am. I won't let him have his way this time, I won't forgive him for leaving me alone again." She slid her arms into the sleeves of the coat, grateful for the extra warmth it provided as yet another icy wind blew through the grounds.

"Then stop looking so regretful every time the two of you fight," Zero pointed out.

"So I do look regretful, hm? I think it's because Takuma would be stuck in the middle of our feud if he were here and I hated doing that to him, we caused so much trouble for him. He's the only reason I kept forgiving Kaname before, but now he's gone and though I feel badly knowing that Takuma would want Kaname and I to fix things between us, I just don't want to this time. It makes me feel a little guilty," she admitted letting a small forlorn chuckle escape her.

"Come on," Zero said, standing up from the bench and holding his hand out to her.

"I'd like to stay out-"

"It's freezing out here and pureblood or not, you keep shivering," he pointed out, he sounded almost as if he were scolding her. "It's also going to snow soon and the storms here can be quite bad, it would be safer inside."

When Reina made no attempt to take his outstretched hand, he sighed and rolled his eyes. "You brought this on yourself." Without another word, he leaned down and hoisted her onto his shoulder.

"Zero," she squeaked in surprise as she was slung onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "What are you doing, put me down!"

"Shut up, you're loud," he grumbled, turning around and heading through the maze of rose gardens and towards the mansion.

"Dammit, Zero, put me down this instant," Reina demanded, drumming her fists against his back only to be ignored.

"You can hit me all you want, but I'm not putting you down. Besides, it's not like it hurts."

"Why you," she growled.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're cute when you're angry," Zero asked casually, ignoring the fact that Reina was still pounding on his back and growling.

"As a matter of fact yes," she snapped. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"It's entertaining, not scary," he shrugged, making Reina squeal when she thought that she was going to fall.

Huffing stubbornly, Reina settled for stopping her struggles, it wasn't going to get her anywhere and she knew it. "Are you going to put me down," she asked grumpily after a few moments of silence.

"Nope."

"Fine." She grunted, it was proving to be rather difficult to be upset with Zero when she could only see his back and the path that they had come from. With a final huff, she resolved to stay silent and sulk for the rest of the ride, until something dawned on her and she cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Did you say the word cute?" She asked curiously.

"You're slow, aren't you," he mumbled.

She started giggling uncontrollably. "It's just that..you're the fearsome Zero Kiryu.. and you said the word cute."

"Shut up," he grumbled.

She ignored him and continued to giggle until she was rather suddenly dropped onto the ground, landing unceremoniously on her butt. "Ow," she winced, looking up at Zero and trying to pout until she saw the annoyed look on his face and started snickering again.

"If you're just going to keep laughing, I'm going to leave you alone here."

"I was alone in the first place," she pointed out.

"You're right, but you didn't have a coat then, so give that back then I'll leave."

"You're being mean."

"On second thought, I'll get the coat later, you're annoying," Zero said before turning on his heel and walking away.

Leaping from the ground, Reina sped after Zero, happily jumping onto his back and grinning at the annoyed glare she got as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.

"Do I look like a horse to you?"

"Nope, but since there aren't any horses available, I suppose you'll have to do," Reina replied.

"Would you get off me?"

"Ask nicely."

He grunted.

"Fine," she sighed, stepping off of his back. "But now you have to race me, if I win you get to cook me dinner, I'm hungry." With a wink, she took off towards the house. "Oh, and you get to cook for Hana too, whatever he wants."

Growling, Zero charged after her, he had no intention of catering to the spoiled noble vampire's every whim, he'd seen how much the blond was capable of eating in one sitting when he had decided to run away from the Moon dorms for a day while Reina and the others had been in a meeting with the Council discussing the death of Shizuka Hio.

"You cheated," Zero accused as he ran up to the door of the mansion where Reina was already standing, waiting for him looking as if she hadn't just sprinted through the maze of the gardens.

"Maybe a little," she replied proudly. "So about that dinner- Hey! Zero!" She called after the silver haired boy who had opened the door and was stalking into the house, ignoring her. "You brought this on yourself then."

Zero grunted when Reina jumped onto his back again and being that he had no desire to talk to her, he gave her an unwilling piggy back ride through the halls.

"Where are we going," Reina asked.

"Hn."

"That's not an answer. So I'll ask again, where are we going?"

"Why are you so annoying?"

"Because it's fun. So where are we-"

"You're hungry, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"We're going to the kitchen."

"Really? You're going to cook, for me?"

"That was the deal, wasn't it?"

"Well the deal was you'd make whatever Hana wanted for the both of us," Reina replied.

She was again graced with the infamous Zero grunt and no verbal response.

"What are you doing to Reina-sama?!"

Reina winced as Hanabusa shouted at Zero as he came out of one of the doorways further up the hall.

"Quiet down, Hana," Reina scolded lightly as the blond ran towards them and glared at Zero. "He didn't have much choice in the matter, I decided I didn't feel like walking and so I volunteered Zero to be my legs. I also volunteered him to make me dinner, so if you'll excuse us we'll be on our way."

Hanabusa looked less than pleased with Reina's plans and sulked grumpily as Zero walked past him.

"I thought I was cooking whatever he wanted," Zero asked.

"No, I just figured that you wouldn't take me seriously unless I threatened you somehow," she replied, leaning her chin on to his shoulder and smiling lopsidedly at the look Zero gave her. "Besides," she sighed. "As much as I love Hana, I need sometime away from everyone. I've been surrounded for so long that I forgot how nice it is to just be alone. In this case I'm not alone, but unlike the others, you don't make me feel so...watched."

"If it bothers you that much, ask them to leave."

She heaved another sigh. "I would, but Emiko has grown so attached to them, especially Hana and oddly enough, Shiki. Though it seems contradictory, I don't mind the company, I just wish I didn't always feel as if they were there just to protect me and nothing else."

"We're here," Zero said after a moment and coming to a halt.

Reina hummed and looked up at the spotless kitchen and its modern stainless steel appliances.

"I can't cook with you on my back, you know," he said pointedly.

"Oh, right." Removing herself from Zero's back so that he could move freely about the kitchen.

"So what do you want?"

"I don't know to be honest, are you hungry?"

He shrugged.

"Well, do you have something you really want or are good at making? I'm not picky," Reina said taking a seat on one of several stools that were sitting around a tall table off to the side.

While Zero gathered a variety of ingredients and put two pots on the stove, Reina watched him curiously her chin in the palm of her hand.

"Let me guess, you've never cooked anything before, have you," Zero asked as he glanced at her over his shoulder.

She shook her head. "Spoiled pureblood, remember?"

"I never forgot," he snorted. "Anyway, come here, you can help."

"What?" She asked squeakily, blinking at him and lifting her chin from her hand.

"If I have to cook for you, you can at least help."

"Can't I just offer to do the dishes and have someone else do them?"

"No, now come here," Zero repeated.

Slipping off the stool, she made her way towards Zero who was now setting out two cutting boards and moving the vegetables around.

"What do you want me to do," she asked.

"Help cut up the vegetables."

When she only stared at him and didn't make any attempt at moving, he rolled his eyes and stepped up beside her. He grabbed a knife and a few carrots, setting the carrots on the cutting board, he began chopping them up into even sized slices. Reina watched and when he turned to her and held the knife out to her, she was fairly certain that the task she had been given was easy enough.

She was wrong.

Apparently there was a correct way to hold the knife and the vegetables you were cutting, she didn't know either and when she succeeded in slicing rather large and odd shaped pieces of carrots before stopping to look at them oddly because she had no idea how Zero had made it look so easy, she was surprised when he sighed and went to stand behind her. One of his hands adjusted her hold on the knife and the other reached around her to show her how to hold the vegetables.

"Like this," he told her before lifting her hand and rocking the knife in a single place while pushing the carrots forward and keeping her knuckles and fingers out of the way of the sharp blade.

Reina swallowed at the closeness of Zero's body. He was firmly pressed against her back and she could smell the scent of his skin and hear his heart beat, but the most distracting thing was the way his heart beat had sped up just a little in response to being so near to her. It was this distraction that caused her to slice the tip of her finger after pushing the chopped carrots off to the side to be used later. With a small wince, she dropped the knife onto the cutting board and raised her finger to her lips, she had drawn blood and wanted to get rid of the scent as quickly as possible so that no one would come running thinking something had happened to her.

"Are you alright," Zero asked her, stepping away from her so that she could turn around and taking her hand.

"You've changed. You used to not be able to control yourself around blood, but you're not even tense."

"I've been able to take the tablets ever since," he paused, his aura becoming lost in a sea of anger and hatred. "Here," he grunted, pulling her towards the sink.

"You may have learned to control the urges, but that doesn't change the fact that you want it, does it," Reina asked before Zero had the chance to turn the water on and rinse the blood from her hand.

He glanced back at her, but only to scowl at her and not speak.

"If you want it, then take it," she said, holding her hand up to him as blood dripped down her finger and palm. "It'll go to waste otherwise."

At first, he made no attempt to move, but after staring at her for several long seconds, he carefully grasped her thin wrist and small hand before dragging his tongue over her palm and finger to gather up the blood that had leaked from the cut she had inflicted upon herself. Reina swallowed as his lips closed over the small wound and he sucked on her finger, his eyes closing as the small amount of her blood he had consumed hit his tongue.

Being that she was a pureblood the cut had already begun to heal and when Zero removed the digit from his mouth there was no hint that it had ever been there in the first place. He kept her hand in his grasp though, pushing the sleeve of her shirt up with one hand while the other lightly held her wrist. She knew what he was intending to do and it made her heart flutter in her chest and her breathing pick up pace ever so slightly.

"Wait," she said as Zero neared her exposed wrist with every intention of biting her. When he looked up at her, she swallowed. In many ways she felt guilty for what she was doing, she was giving her blood to a man that wasn't Takuma, but then she remembered he had never taken her blood nor would he ever take it in the future. She was no longer engaged, promised to one man for the rest of her long life and she saw no harm in giving some of her blood to a man who had willingly protected her and had even given up his own blood for her in the past. "Not here," she said, grabbing onto one of the hands that grasped her arm, she led Zero away from the sink and into the first door that she came across. It just so happened that they wound up in the mansion's large walk in refrigerator, she thought about leading him elsewhere, but she figured there was no point. The refrigerator was ideal, though it was cold and their breaths were coming out as little puffs of white fog, it was sealed very well and it was highly unlikely that anyone would be able to smell her blood from outside of the extremely well insulated space.

"You're not going to regret this, are you?" Zero questioned as they stepped into the cooler and the door shut them inside. She was standing with her back to him, her hand still loosely holding his. He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, she tensed slightly, but quickly relaxed and shook her head.

"No, I won't regret this."

Keeping one hand on her waist, Zero used his other to pull the fabric of her turtleneck out of the way.

"Here," Reina said, slipping from his grasp and before he could even say anything, she was pulling the blue shirt over her head. She had on a thin white satin and lace camisole and the straps of her blue and white lace bra were visible on her pale shoulders. She dropped the turtleneck on to a box of apples and stepped towards Zero. "Is that better," she asked, flicking some stray strands of her ponytail over her shoulder and tilting her head so that her neck was easily accessible.

There was no point in even trying to talk, he wouldn't have been able to form words anyway at that point. So he let his body take over, all the while struggling to keep himself in line as he stepped towards her, his arms wrapping around her slim body and crushing her to his chest. One of his hands managed to find it's way to the back of her neck where he supported her head as he dipped down, his nose brushing against her chilled skin before his tongue ran over her neck, his fangs beginning to elongate as the beast inside of him demanded her blood.

He barely managed to contain a groan as his teeth sunk into her neck and her hands grasped onto him as the initial pain of being bitten washed over her. The delicate sweet and slightly fruit taste of her blood was more addictive than any drug, one taste and there was no way you would ever want to quit drinking it.

"Ah, Zero," Reina whispered, her tiny hands grasping onto his shirt as she grimaced. His hands had tightened their hold on her and he was beginning to take too much, she could feel her knees growing weak and her vision starting to swim.

Hearing his name from her lips did not make him want to stop, but he had heard the pleading and note of pain in her voice and retracted his fangs from her neck. He kept her in his hold though, breathing heavily as he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

"Zero?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, lifting his head from her shoulder and wiping the little blood he had spilled from his chin. "You should put your shirt back on."

"Right," she replied, reaching for the discarded clothing and pulling it back on. As she pulled it over her head she saw that Zero had turned away from her and was about to leave. "Wait," she called, lunging forward to grab onto his arm.

"What," he asked dully, not even bothering to look at her.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't worry about it," he tried to shake her off, but her grip only tightened.

"Stop," she half-shouted as he tried to walk away from her again. "It wasn't you that hurt me, I hurt you, again. I'm sorry. I didn't think about your feelings for me when I offered you my blood, or maybe I did and just didn't care. I-"

"I said don't worry about it and I've told you before that if all you wanted from me was for me to protect you, then that's all I would do."

"You did say that, but that's _not _all you want from me. I-"

"You said yourself that we're from two very different worlds and that it was time I started to learn that regardless or yours or my feelings, that would never change. You are a pureblood and I'm just a low level vampire that was once human, even if you had interest in me, I'm not worthy of you."

She grasped his arm tighter, her head falling onto his back as she recalled the conversation she had had with Ken several months prior when Zero was staying at her manor. He had heard her words to the other pureblood. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, I just need to learn my place," he jerked his arm from her grasp and opened the large metal door. "I'm sorry for forgetting it," he said over his shoulder, glancing at her and noticing the tears in her eyes. "Why are you crying, it's the truth, isn't it? The words were from your mouth, weren't they?"

She lowered her head and blinked her eyes to let her tears drop to the floor. "Yes, but-"

"You don't need to explain, I under-"

"No, you don't understand," Reina cut in. "I said those words and I'm sorry they hurt you, that wasn't my intention." Her chin dropped into her chest. "It's just... I miss him, I miss Takuma and I had every intention of pushing everyone away so that I would never have to feel that sort of loss again. I was trying to act my part as the indifferent pureblood so that no one would want to get close to me or attach themselves to me, I'd rather be alone than have to feel that pain ever again. You have lost everything that was precious to you, you should understand."

"You're right, I do understand, but I'm not as selfish as you," he answered.

She gasped, her eyes widening at his statement.

"You said your intention wasn't to hurt me, but at the time you didn't care if you hurt me or anyone else. I can understand that, you're right, but that doesn't change the fact that what you said was true. I'm just an abomination and you're a pureblood who is highly respected and revered. I can deal with that, you deserve someone better than me anyways, I just don't like being used for your entertainment."

"I haven't-"

"You have. Earlier in the garden, jumping onto my back and then racing me. That was for your-"

"No," she interrupted loudly. "That wasn't for my entertainment. I was enjoying myself because you were giving me an opportunity to be playful and silly and I've been so caught up being an adult that I haven't been able to just... let go of everything else and just have fun. I wasn't using you," she concluded she in a low whisper.

Zero took a moment to look over her and he heaved a sigh, running his hand through his long hair as he collected his thoughts. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset. I guess it was me being selfish, part of me wanted you to feel bad for rejecting me and another part just couldn't stand to be near you, it was becoming a little overwhelming."

"Overwhelming?" She asked, not understanding his meaning until he gave her an odd look and tweaked his brow at her. "Oh," she gasped, realization dawning on her. He had wanted more than her blood, he had wanted her body, it made sense, the drinking of someone's blood was meant to be a very sensual and romantic act it was natural that a vampire would became aroused if he deeply cared for the person he was drinking from. She felt her cheeks burn at the realization.

"You know for as smart as vampires are supposed to be with their superior learning skills, you have a tendency to be very slow."

"I'm not slow," she protested sulkily.

"Come on, you can at least finish helping me chop the vegetables before you start sulking."

"Fine," she huffed, stepping out of the cooler and trying to seem indignant, but failing when her head swam and she wobbled on her feet.

Zero caught her easily, his hands first steadying her before sweeping her off of her feet and into his arms.

"Sorry, I'm fine, just-"

"You're not fine," he countered, walking back towards the kitchen. "You shouldn't have offered your blood when you've been starving yourself, you knew I wouldn't turn it down."

"So this is all my fault, gee thanks for the guilt trip," Reina mumbled sarcastically.

"That's not-"

Looking up at Zero's face to see why he had stopped talking and walking so suddenly, Reina's eyes widened and her head snapped towards the door that led into the kitchen. The two of them had been so caught up in their bickering that they had failed to realize that Kaname was now in the kitchen, leaning against the white wall near the door. How she had overlooked his presence, she didn't know because he was releasing such an ominous feeling despite the calm and cool way he was looking at them. The air almost seemed suffocating and Reina could almost see the blackness of his well hidden anger rolling off his skin.

"Didn't I warn you of what would happen if you touched her again..."

* * *

Uh oh...Kaname's mad and that never ends well for anyone. What will he do and will it deepen the rift between he and Reina or will it make her see that he really is trying to protect her? Anyways, the next chapter will be out in a few days. I've been on a bit of a roll with this story lately. I already have several pages of excerpts for future chapters written and a majority of it outlined. So expect weekly updates for awhile unless something drastic happens.

Thank you to all of my lovely reviews, alerters and favoriters, you always make my day!

Please review!


	15. Chapter 15 Consequences

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 15**

**Consequences**

"Didn't I warn you of what would happen if you touched her again," Kaname questioned icily, leaning away from the wall and unfolding his arms from over his shirt that was such a deep blue it almost looked black in the bright lights of the kitchen.

"Can you stand," Zero asked Reina, his lavender eyes focused on Kaname.

"Yes, but-"

"I'll be fine," Zero cut her off, lowering her feet to the floor and keeping a hand on her back to make sure she would be alright.

"You should go and get some rest Reina, I'll have Aido come and check on you in a few moments," Kaname coolly stated as he too kept his eyes focused on only Zero. "Kiryu and I have something we need to discuss."

Frowning, Reina looked between the two men, the hatred they both felt for each other was making the atmosphere almost suffocating, but she still didn't want to leave. She knew that if she did the two men would fight and with so much at stake with the nearing peace agreements between the Hunters and vampires, Reina didn't want the two to ruin any and all chance there was for a better life for both races.

"Stop," she murmured, putting her hand to Zero's chest as he reached for the Bloody Rose that never left his side. "If you want someone to be angry with Kaname, then be angry at me." She looked the other pureblood evenly in the eyes as she spoke. "I am the one who gave him my blood, I am the one who offered it and willingly allowed him to take it. He didn't have the intention of taking my blood when I first cut myself, but I knew he wanted it and so I offered it. I won't allow you to hurt him for something I chose to do."

"You chose to offer him your blood, but he chose to take it. You are a pureblood, it is not acceptable to give your blood to such a fi-"

"I said stop," she shouted, a light bulb in one of the overhead lights shattering and send a spray of glass tinkling to the tile floor. "You're both just looking for an excuse to try to kill one another and I refuse to be that excuse for either of you. On top of that, right now there is much more at stake than a feud between two stubborn men, or have the both of you forgotten why we're here?"

Kaname remained silent while Zero snorted angrily and tossed his head to the side so that he was looking at the far wall instead of either pureblood.

"While there is plenty at risk should a conflict between a vampire and a Hunter arise, I believe that given the circumstances, the Hunters would side with the vampires instead of a Hunter who isn't even human and can't control his desire for blood," Kaname smoothly informed her.

She gritted her teeth when she felt Zero respond to the taunt, his body stiffening and a small growl leaking from his throat. Regardless of what she said, the two were itching to fight, they had been for years and now that Zero could likely hold his own against the object of his ire, he wanted a crack at putting an end to it. He stepped away from Reina, drawing the Bloody Rose so quickly even she couldn't stop him. He was thrown backwards before he had a chance to fully raise the barrel of the sleek silver gun, his back smashing into the table Reina had been sitting at, breaking it into several pieces and scattering the chairs. The scent of Zero's blood filled the air and Reina's eyes widened as Kaname stepped forward with every intention of killing him since the boy was no longer useful and was more of a nuisance to him than anything else.

Zero righted himself quickly, squeezing off a shot that missed Kaname by barely a hair's width. The brown haired male moved fluidly towards Zero, reaching for his throat only to retract his hand when a mass of silvery vines seemed to shoot out of Zero's hand. Kaname's eyes narrowed when the thorny vines slashed into his arm, slicing the fabric of his shirt and biting into his flesh.

This had to stop before either one of them was seriously hurt and before they drew the attention of anyone else. It wouldn't bode well for any of them should anyone come to see what all the commotion was only to see the pureblood king and the future president of the Association trying to kill one another while they were supposed to be trying to come up with a way to live peacefully together.

The fighting continued, both men were fairly evenly matched much to Reina's surprise. She figured it had a lot to do with Zero having just drunk her blood only moments before. Wood and plaster exploded as Zero was sent skidding back into the wall, grunting as the force of Kaname's anger smashed his back into the breaking wall.

Reina could only watch, fearing the outcome, but it wasn't until Zero raised the Bloody Rose in preparation to take a shot at Kaname and Kaname lifted his hand with every intention of using his powers to end Zero's life. There was no thought in her mind as everything slowed and she saw Zero's finger begin to tighten on the silver trigger of Bloody Rose and Kaname's fingers begin to move. She knew she would never get to Zero before he could fire off his gun, he was farther from her than Kaname, who she knew she could easily reach.

Her body melted into a dark writhing mass of liquid like tendrils, Zero had already pulled the trigger when her body reformed in front of Kaname. His eyes widened as the bullet pierced her right shoulder instead of Kaname's heart. She didn't cry out in pain, but she did clutch onto Kaname's shirt, breathing raggedly as pain washed over her weakened body.

"Stop, please," she whispered pleadingly, resting her head on Kaname's shoulder as his arms wrapped around her to keep her from falling.

"Reina," Kaname uttered, holding her head to his chest tenderly and kissing the top of her head.

"I will never forgive either of you if you let this continue, I don't want to hate you, so please stop. Please... I don't want to-"

Kaname shushed her, smoothing her hair as her body started slackening in his grip. He lifted her into his arms before her body could give out entirely and with a single chilling glance at Zero, he turned and left the kitchen.

* * *

Hanabusa was standing besides his cousin in the hall outside of Reina's room, everyone else was gathered there as well. Rima was leaning into Shiki on the opposite wall and Ruka was standing on the other side of Kain, Seiren stood slightly apart from the group in the shadows. As Kaname approached with the injured white haired Reina, they all watched him carefully take the woman into her room. Hanabusa followed Kaname into the room, as did Seiren who shut the door quietly behind them, leaving the others to guard the halls while she took up a post just inside the door of the darkened room.

"Will she be alright," a worried Hanabusa asked as Kaname gently laid Reina in her bed.

"She has lost a lot of blood and the wound is from an anti-vampire weapon and isn't healing as quickly as it should. The wound needs to be cleaned and bandaged, Seiren," he called, the young girl stepped from her place by the door, bowing to him and awaiting her orders. "Have Rima and Ruka assist you in changing her clothes and cleaning the wound, Aido and I will be outside."

"Yes, Kaname-sama," Seiren answered.

* * *

After Reina's wound had been treated and bandaged, Aido and Seiren were left to watch over her, the others remained outside and Kaname went to speak with Cross about the events that had led to Reina's injury. There could be possible repercussions or both sides and the peace that they were trying to attain could be threatened if anyone were to learn of the long standing hate that the pureblood prince and the future Association president harbored for one another. Not to mention Reina, a pureblood, had been shot by a Hunter and that news would not sit well with the vampire world.

When the situation had been handled, Kaname returned to Reina's room. The woman was still asleep, covered in clean sheets instead of the linens that had been on the bed when he had first laid her down. Her hair was free of any blood and had been braided by Ruka and laid over her left shoulder. She had been dressed in a blue and white polka dot nightgown, the white of the bandages that had been neatly wrapped around her shoulder were visible beneath the straps of the gown.

Her breathing was somewhat labored and her forehead was damp with a thin sheen of sweat, her face showed signs of strain and her hands were unconsciously clenching every time she took a particularly deep breath. Kaname sat in a chair by her bedside, watching the rise and fall of her chest and listening to the sound of her heartbeat. It was weaker than it should have been and her face was paler than normal as the toll of her blood loss paired with the effects of being shot with a weapon that was meant to incapacitate and kill vampires, took it's toll on her body.

It was an unavoidable fact that when Reina woke up she would need blood. Whether or not she would willingly take some from one of them was not something that Kaname was sure of. He was, however, willing to do whatever was necessary in order to make sure that she healed and regained her strength.

Several hours would pass before Reina showed any sign off waking, pained groans were the first sounds to fill the room followed whimpers as she tried to move only to find that to move made intense fire filled pain shoot through her arm and shoulder making all the nerves in her body scream in agony.

Standing from the chair he had taken a seat in, Kaname walked towards the bed and sat on the edge of it, brushing some of Reina's hair from her damp forehead. "Aido, Seiren would you please leave us for a few moments."

Aido hesitated, but did as he was told leaving the room before Seiren who seemed to sense that though she too had been dismissed there was something else that her master wished to say, her suspicions were proven true when Kaname looked up at her.

"Keep everyone outside, no one is to enter this room until I say so."

"Yes, Kaname-sama," with a quick bow the thin, but deadly girl turned to leave, shutting the door behind her and positioning herself in front of it.

Kaname ran his hand along Reina's feverish cheek, the girl's eyes clenched shut and then slowly began to flutter open. She blinked a few times to try and clear the haze from her vision, trying to focus on the form of the dark haired man she could see hovering over her.

"K-Kaname," she stuttered hoarsely.

"You're awake, everyone's been very worried. How are you feeling," he asked, letting the backs of his fingers trail over her cheekbone.

She moaned, shifting slightly and bringing her left hand to her right shoulder only to have Kaname carefully stop her hand and covering it with one of his on before lying it in his lap.

"It hurts," Reina gasped, her eyes filling with tears.

"I know, I'm very sorry Reina." His fingers continued to soothingly sweep his fingers over her flushed skin. "But I can make that pain go away." The hand that was tracing her face ventured away from her and rose towards his neck.

"What," she asked, her voice tinted with confusion and sleep.

"You need to drink, Reina," he said, his nails piercing into the thin skin of his neck and drawing a thin line of blood.

The scent of the blood invaded the room, Reina groaned, fidgeting as her body responded to the tantalizing scent. Her throat became dry and started to ache, her lungs began to burn and her heart beat became almost painful as it sped up and made her painfully aware of the fact that she was in desperate need of blood. The hand that was still folded in Kaname's tightened its grasp on his and her head tossed to the side to try and evade the scent of his blood.

"Don't fight it, Reina, you will only hurt yourself," Kaname said, leaning over Reina and slowly easing her into a sitting position, keeping his arms firmly around her so that she wouldn't fall back onto the pillows.

She tried to struggle out of Kaname's grasp, but she was too weak and even though his hold on her was so light and gentle, she still couldn't break free of him. Whimpering in not only pain, but frustration Reina turned her head away from the small puncture on Kaname's neck and the thin line of blood that trailed from it.

"Why are you doing this? Let me go," she demanded. "I don't want your blood."

"It's necessary and I don't wish to see you in pain because of me and my actions. This is my fault and I intend to make it right. I know you don't desire my blood, I know you're angry with me and I'm not asking you to forgive me, I'm just asking that you let me help you. Please let me help you, Reina," Kaname whispered into her ear.

Tears streamed down Reina's cheeks and her small hands clutched onto his shirt. His words had made her miss the Kaname that she had fallen in love with, the one she couldn't be angry at for more than a few days and the one she had sworn to always stand by. The old Kaname before something in him had twisted and become dark and frightening instead of comforting and warm.

"I'm not going to let you go Reina, not until you drink and are healing as you should be."

"Why...why do you have to do this to me?"

"Because I care about you and I-"

"No, I mean why do you have to make it so hard to hate you and yet make it so easy at the same time," she sobbed, her voice thick and tired with stress.

Kaname smiled softly. "I'm sorry I make things so difficult for you. It's not my intention to do anything but protect you and see you smile."

Her fingers clenched around the fabric of his shirt again as she buried her head into his shoulder. She knew she needed the blood he was offering her, that if she didn't take it she would remain in pain and that the wound would only get worse instead of heal. Wounds made by anti-vampire weapons were not easy to heal for any vampire, but for a vampire who was starving for blood as it was had an even harder time trying to heal. Kaname's hands were stroking her back and hair, calm, soothing touches that threatened to lull her back to sleep.

Letting her hands snake around Kaname's lean body and grasp onto his back, Reina pushed herself up with a little help from Kaname. Her head stayed on his shoulder, she may have known that she needed to drink, but that didn't change the fact that she didn't want to take his blood. She also knew that the person whose blood she did want would never again offer it to her and sooner or later she would have to take from someone else anyways.

She tilted her head to look at his neck where the blood he had intentionally drawn was beginning to dry. Moving closer to his neck, Reina hesitated, her hands unconsciously tightening their hold on him. After the moment's hesitation, she closed her eyes and leaned forward, her tongue ran over the spot she was going to bite in to quickly and her fangs plunged into his skin not a second later.

Kaname could feel the tears that leaked from her eyes sliding down his neck and dampening his shirt as she let his blood fill her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Reina."

She took more than she had anticipated, but her body just wouldn't let her stop until she had had enough. When she pulled away, her body was in a slight state of shock as it tried to process the new source of energy and she couldn't stop her eyes from closing or her head from falling onto Kaname's shoulder.

Pushing some strands of hair from her face, he kissed her temple and carefully lowered her limp body onto her pillow. There was blood on her chin and he wiped it away his finger and proceeded to lick it off the digit. "I expected you to struggle so much more, it seems you really have grown," he ran his thumb over her cheek before standing up.

* * *

Reina was growing impatient and fidgety, two more weeks had past since her first confrontation with Kaname in regards to the fact that the meeting between themselves and the Hunters was only supposed to last a few days. Still nothing had been decided. They were beginning to head in the correct direction though, the two races were starting to agree on more things and discussions were progressing nicely, but still nothing had been solidly decided and it was making Reina anxious.

It had now been three weeks since she had seen her daughter and though she spoke with Midori on a daily basis to be sure that she was okay and that Setsuka was handling her position as her caretaker well, she still wanted to be at home with her, where she should have been.

She raised her pale hand and knocked against the thick wood of the door that led to Kaname's room and without waiting for a reply she let herself into the room, closing the door behind her. Things between the two purebloods had been very awkward in the past several days since Reina had taken Kaname's blood, at least on Reina's part. She no longer acted so cold towards him, but she was far from friendly, she barely spoke to him now and she tended to not look him in the eye either. It was a step up from how she had been acting towards him, but Kaname almost preferred her anger, at least then she was talking to him and looking at him.

The room was dark, the thick burgundy damask curtains were still pulled shut, blocking out the last few rays of the sun that was sinking below the horizon and not a single light was on. She could see the lump beneath the blankets on the bed and knew that Kaname had yet to actually get up for the evening. Whether he was still asleep or not, she wasn't sure.

"Kaname?" She inquired softly, stepping around the bed so she could see his face. He was indeed still asleep and she couldn't help but to let an unnoticed smile grace her face at how utterly relaxed he looked, he rarely ever seemed so free of care and it was nice to see him so peaceful for once. Unconsciously, she reached forward to brush a strand of his hair from his face, but her hand paused just inches away from him when she realized what she was doing. Lowering her hand to her side, she turned and left the room without a sound.

Though she wanted to speak with him, she didn't return to his room. Instead, she waited for him to show himself a few hours later just as dinner was being served. He sat at the head of the table and she took the seat to his right.

"How much longer is this going to go on, Kaname? I know that what we're all doing here is of great importance, but.. I want to see my daughter and I'm sure everyone else would like to be able to visit their families as well, isn't there anyway to, if not hurry things along then at least allow there to be a short break for both sides involved," Reina asked.

"I'm afraid there isn't, I'm sorry to have caused you all so much trouble, but I'm afraid I must ask you to be patient just a little longer," Kaname replied, addressing the entire table.

Kain, Ruka, Shiki, Rima and Aido all nodded their understanding while Reina sighed and her shoulders drooped.

"Of course," she feigned a smile as she pushed her seat back. "Please excuse me, I'm afraid I'm not that hungry this evening. I'm going to be in room, I'm a little tired."

"Should we just let her go," Kain asked after Reina had vacated the room, the melancholy air around making everyone worried for her.

"I'll go-"

"No, Aido. Leave her alone for now, she's having a very hard time being away from Emiko, among other things, and there's nothing any of us can do to help her right now," Kaname spoke up.

* * *

The scenery outside of the window was dull, just an inky blackness that stretched on for miles in all directions. There was a subtle hint of icy moisture on the air and Reina suspected that it would be snowing again within the hour. She wondered what the manor looked like, she had always loved the snowy landscape of her home, there were many happy memories in the snow that had surrounded her home.

There was no bench or chair in front of the window and Reina didn't feel like moving one of the heavy chairs from the other side of the room, instead she just leaned in to the wall and rested her head against the casing. Her arms were folded over her chest and she just stared over the gardens that were covered in white. A figure was moving through the garden, shrouded in darkness, but she knew who it was and when lavender eyes looked up at her she looked away as if she hadn't noticed.

Zero frowned as Reina turned her head away from him, he had been getting much the same treatment as Kaname. Silence and no eye contact. He had only seen Reina in the meetings that were held everyday, but she rarely spoke and she sat between Aido and Kain, neither young man would let anyone near her. The rest of her time she spent holed up in her room. He had tried to speak with her once, but he hadn't gotten very far down the hall before Kain appeared with a glowering Aido behind him and told him it would be best to leave her be. He hadn't wanted to listen, but he didn't want to start a fight with every vampire that was standing in the hall at the moment either.

As he stared up at her, he watched her turn away from the window and smile a fake smile at someone before pulling the window closed and closing the curtains. It was just a moment later that he heard footsteps and looked up to see Yagari walking towards him, a lit cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Come on, Cross wants to see you," Yagari grunted, glancing at where Zero eyes had been focused a moment before. "It's about her."

This seemed to grab Zero's attention and he nodded, following his teacher when the disheveled man turned around to start walking back the way he had come.

–

"Why does Cross want to see me?" Reina asked Kain who had been the one to inform her that Kaname and herself had been summoned to see Cross.

"I'm not sure," Kain replied.

"They summoned Kiryu too," Hanabusa said harshly from beside his cousin.

"Did they?" Reina mused quietly, glancing to her window.

"Yes, I heard Cross telling Kaname-sama that the filthy-"

"Hana," Reina scolded. "You may not like Kiryu, but I won't have you talking about him like that. Don't ever forget that if it weren't him Rido would still be alive and Kaname most likely wouldn't. We owe him a lot."

Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Hanabusa tried to nod apologetically. "Sorry, Reina."

"As for what happened to me, that wasn't Kiryu's fault. At least not his alone," Reina sighed, rubbing at the side of her head tiredly.

"Kaname-sama never really told us what happened, just that it was an accident that you got shot," Kain said.

Being used to the forwardness that Kain seemed to posses, Reina nodded. "It was an accident that I got shot because it wasn't me that Zero was aiming for. He and Kaname hate each other enough to disregard everything and everyone else and try to kill one another over trivial matters. I simply refused to be the reason they fought this time."

"Why tell us this," Kain asked.

Reina smiled at him, chuckling. "Would you rather that I lied to you? Kaname didn't tell you everything and that was his choice, but he was worried about what would happen if everyone were to find out that the pureblood lord and the future Association president tried to kill one another and I was accidentally shot in the midst of their fight."

"It just seems that he doesn't trust us sometimes, we've all-"

"He's aware of what you've all done for him, Kain, he just doesn't know how to express that. He wasn't always like that, but the deaths of Juuri and Haruka changed him greatly. He's been a different person since then, scary almost, but he knows and he trusts you. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here and he wouldn't be asking you to look after me," Reina cut in. "Anyways, we shouldn't keep Cross waiting, should we?"

"..Right, let's go Hanabusa," Kain replied.

Kain was the first to exit the room, followed by Reina and then Hanabusa, it was as they were walking that Reina decided to hide her aura, she could already sense Kaname and Zero in Cross' study and she could sense the anger radiating off of them. When Kain looked back at her, having noticed her aura practically disappearing, she merely smiled, he shrugged and kept on walking.

Neither Kain nor Hanabusa made an attempt to enter the room, but instead stood on either side of the door. Reina didn't want to open the door, she wanted to know what was going on in the room without having to draw attention to herself. She knew that it was highly unlikely that Cross, Zero or Yagari who was also in the room could sense her, but she knew that Kaname most likely could. Ignoring this fact, she put a palm to the door and stepped forward, her palm disappearing followed by the rest of her body as she walked through the wooden obstacle. She didn't completely reform once she was through the door, instead she let her body became something like smoke and she stuck to the shadows in the back of the room.

"I know the two of you don't like each other," a tired looking Cross was saying to the two men in front of his desk as he plopped into his chair and removed his glasses to rub at his nose. "But this has got to stop. The tension between the two of you is understandable, but now that Reina's attitude has changed towards the both of you, people are beginning to wonder what happened."

"It's not their business," Zero growled, unhappy about having to be standing beside the one person he couldn't even stand to look at.

"That's where you're wrong," Cross sighed. "You're to be the future president and Kaname is the pureblood king. If there's to be peace between the two races, the two of you need to start seeing eye to eye and not trying to kill each other every chance you get."

Zero snorted and tossed his head to the side.

"What happened before won't happen again, I assure you. I just got carried away," Kaname said smoothly. "As for Reina, she's unhappy with the both of us. She wants peace, but she also wants to go home. She's willing to remain here as long as it takes, but our.. disagreement almost ruined every chance at peace and that would have meant all the time she's spent away from Emiko would have been for nothing."

"What about you Zero, are you willing to put this feud aside?"

His lavender eyes flashed as he looked back at Cross. "I already told you that I know Kuran is a necessary part of restoring peace, without him it would be impossible to keep the rest of the leeches in line. As soon as he's no longer needed, I will kill him," Zero hissed.

A small smirk pulled at the corners of Kaname's lips, but he didn't speak. The only sound to be heard after his statement was a sigh from Cross and then the sound of footsteps.

Zero's eyes widened as he shifted his body to see the oddly calm Reina, her hair floating behind her as if it were suspended in water as her body reformed and she stalked towards him. She didn't say anything as she approached him, but she did raise her right hand and forcefully slap Zero.

"How dare you," she hissed, despite the calm look on her face, her aura was becoming dangerous. "It was all a lie. Everything? Accepting what you had become, wanting peace between the two races. All to kill him. I haven't forgotten what I told you and I doubt that you have either. Touch so much as a hair on the head of anyone I cared about and I would kill you. Those words are still true."

"I-"

She shook her head as Zero tried to speak. "I don't care what you have to say. Neither one of you cared about the repercussions of your actions when you fought and neither one of you bothered to care about how I felt about any of this either. If the two of you cared as much for me as you say, then you would have stopped that fight before it had begun, but you didn't. Excuse me, I'm not feeling very well and I'd like to go lay down."

When she opened the door, she smiled wanly at Hanabusa and she couldn't fight the mist that clouded her vision. He was surprised by the sad look in her eyes and when she took his hand in hers and laid her head on his shoulder, he just stared at her for a moment before starting to lead her back to her room.

"You knew she was there," Zero accused, narrowing his eyes at Kaname after Reina had left the room.

"I did, I figured it best to let her do as she wanted and observe. She needed to know the truth and now she does."

"That's enough," Cross cut in before Zero could finish. "You should already know, Kaname, that Reina isn't just upset with Zero. She's upset with the both of you. I may not know that girl well, but I know that the both of you have gone out of your way to protect her and to see her smile. Are you really going to let your own hate for one another destroy your relationship with someone as special as her? Because that's exactly what's going to happen. You've just told that poor girl that's separated from her daughter and who has lost so much, that the peace her parents wanted, that her fiancé wanted isn't going to last because the two of you can't get over your own selfish feelings."

And it would be those words, their meaning and the thought of Reina in anymore pain because of either one of them that would set in motion events that would finally lead to a solid and well thought out peace treaty between the vampires and humans. It would later strike Reina as odd that she was the main reason why peace had been possible between the two races. If it hadn't been for the fact that the two men who would be leaders of the two races were in love with her and wanted to see her happy more than anything that peace would never have been possible. It was a very foreign feeling to her, being the cause of a truce between two men that loathed each other with so much vigor that they would disregard the safety and well being of anyone else just to try and kill one another.

It took another month's worth of deliberation, but finally the Hunters and Kaname with help from Reina and the others were able to agree on terms for the start of a newer and more peaceful coexistence.

* * *

It was finally time to return home and Reina was so excited by the prospect of seeing her daughter again that she had been unable to sleep the day before and was now leaning tiredly into Hanabusa as they climbed the steps to the inviting and familiar doors of her manor. Her arm was enfolded in his and her other hand was clutching on to him so that she wouldn't fall, she stifled a yawn and blinked as the door was opened by a smiling Midori with Setsuka beside her, holding on to a bundle of pink blankets that Reina couldn't help but grin proudly at. Removing herself from Hanabusa's side, Reina found that the sight of her baby daughter provided her with a much needed jolt of energy and she skipped up to Setsuka to smile down at Emiko who smiled right back and reached her tiny little hands towards her face.

Carefully taking her daughter from Setsuka's arms, Reina lost herself in a sea of happiness at seeing her child safe and sound again. Brushing a kiss against Emiko's forehead, she rocked the baby girl in her arms and stepped out of the way and chill of the door. However she soon became quite confused when she saw that Yuki and Ken were standing off towards the back of the entrance hall together and looking rather out of place.

The young Yuki was fiddling nervously with her fingers, her hands clasped in front of the knee length beige skirt she wore, her sweater was a pale blue and she wore it over a white collared shirt. Her long dark locks were left down and she looked very pretty, but almost too pretty just to be greeting them from their rather long trip. The same was true for Ken, though he was usually very well put together he had become much more accustomed to more relaxed clothes and didn't always wear nice matching suits any longer. Yet he was standing beside Yuki in very nice charcoal slacks and a red button up under a charcoal blazer.

Tilting a brow at the two, Reina sauntered over to them and scrutinized them for a moment, Yuki turned bright red and bowed her head in embarrassment while Ken smiled down at her. Reina returned his smile with a frown, all the while unconsciously rocking the child in her arms.

"What are you up to," she asked curiously, suspiciously.

Ken's smile grew. "Nothing at all, why do you ask?"

Reina's brow arched upwards again and she studied the gray eyed man for a moment. "Because you have a look on your face that clearly says you're up to something."

"I smiled."

"No, you smiled innocently. There's a difference," Reina countered.

"She's right," Rima said as she walked past the group to go into the parlor with Shiki who yawned before nodding and mumbling his agreement.

"See," Reina chirped with a cheeky grin.

"If it was an innocent smile then why are you assuming that I'm up to something," Ken asked. "It was just an innocent smile."

"You're a Takamora, no offense, but do any Takamora's know how to smile innocently?" Reina inquired.

"Good point," Ken conceded with a small chuckle.

"Well," Reina pressed. "What is it that you're hiding?"

"I think it would be best if we-"

"Ken and I would like to get married," Yuki yelped suddenly.

* * *

What a way to end a chapter, huh? At least it's not a cliffhanger, not really anyway. Well things will start to change a lot in the next chapter or two, expect some romance, violence and weddings. Not in that exact order though.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! Sorry for not listing everyone, I'm at work and just have a minute to get this posted.

Please review!


	16. Chapter 16 Dreaming

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 16**

**Dreaming  
**

The entire house went dead quiet after Yuki's exclamation and Reina could only nod and blink at the small girl, completely caught off guard by her words. It was Emiko who would break the silence that had fallen over everything, a small cry from the girl due to the sudden stop in her being rocked in the warmth of her mother's arms. The cry jolted Reina out of her stupor and she opened her mouth to speak, but it took a moment for her to actually formulate any words.

"Oh," was the first thing she was able to say and it didn't get much more impressive. "That's nice..."

"This is perhaps something that would be better discussed with just your brother, don't you think," Ken said to Yuki, making the girl blush in embarrassment but nod in agreement.

"Well then why don't I prepare some tea and you two can wait in the parlor, I'll tell everyone else to go find something else to do," Midori suggested, fully breaking the strange atmosphere and ushering Ken and Yuki into the parlor only to reappear after a moment behind a grumpy looking Shiki and a bored looking Rima as she shooed the couple from the room.

"Why don't we all go and watch a movie, or at the very least spoil this little angel in my arms," Reina said, rubbing her nose against Emiko's and smiling at the laugh she got in return.

"Reina," Kaname called as she began to make her way down the hall.

"Hm?" She hummed as she turned around to see what he wanted from her and sighed when she saw the look he was giving her. "Hana," she inquired over her shoulder.

"Yes, Reina," the boy chirped, popping his head out of the large room that housed the massive television.

"Would you do me a favor and look after Emi for a little while?"

"Of course."

Carefully and rather reluctantly handing Emiko to Hanabusa, Reina turned back to Kaname. After the events that had unfolded in the last month she was no longer quite as upset with Kaname, she wasn't even all that angry at Zero anymore. The two had overcome their differences and were responsible for creating what she could only hope was a lasting peace between them. Though she had gotten over most of her anger, she wasn't prepared for things to go back to being perfectly ok between them. Too much had happened and though she wanted to leave the past in the past, it wasn't something she found easy to do.

While she wasn't prepared for things to return to normal for them just yet, she knew that eventually they would and the thought was actually quite refreshing. She didn't want to be angry with him, she didn't want to hate him, she couldn't stand being cold towards him, but she had wanted to prove to him that she wasn't always going to forgive him after some kind words or gesture. She wanted to prove that she wasn't just a gullible child any longer and she had wanted him to know what sort of pain his actions caused others because he hadn't always cared and that wasn't fair to the many people who supported him.

Resolving to at least begin the process of healing their relationship, Reina shook her head at Kaname and smiled softly. "You can negotiate with a room full of Hunters all on your own, but discussing a possible wedding arrangement for you sister is something that you need help with?" She asked teasingly.

A small smile graced Kaname's features and it was so real that it nearly took Reina's breath away since it had been so long since she had seen him truly smile.

"It's either that or I go with my instincts and say no, but I'd like to see Yuki happy. I just don't like the idea of-"

"Her belonging to someone else," Reina cut in. "You're very possessive Kaname, you always have been, but she will always be your sister and she will always love you, nothing can change that. I know you promised to protect Yuki and that doesn't need to stop, but you need to keep an open mind about this. We don't need to go in there and make a decision now, but we should at least hear them out."

"You're right, we should, but I'm afraid being open minded in this situation will be rather difficult for me." Kaname replied with a light smile as he held an arm out to her.

"Which is why you asked me to come along, remember?" Reina stepped forward and took the arm that was being offered to her without any hesitation and she could almost feel the tension in Kaname drain away. "I still don't understand it," she said quietly, pausing before they were about to walk into the parlor.

"Understand what?"

"How you seem to relax so much when I'm near you."

"You're the only one to have that effect on me. You know me better than anyone and yet you still choose to be by my side. It's comforting."

Reina's head bowed slightly and she managed a small smile. "We've kept them waiting long enough, shall we go in?"

Instead of letting her step forward to push the doors open, Kaname held her back and gently tilted her chin upwards. She was surprised by this and could only stare up at him.

"What's wrong," he asked. "I don't like that look that was in your eyes, you seemed so lonely."

"I...I wouldn't say I'm lonely, more like I remember how things used to be. Between us...and I miss that, but.."

"It's not the same anymore, I know," Kaname sighed. "There's no need to rush yourself, take all the time in the world to feel comfortable again. I won't be going anywhere." His fingers carefully tilted her chin just a bit further upward and he leaned to down to place a gentle kiss on the corner of her mouth.

Reina's eyes widened and she unconsciously raised her hand to the spot that he had kissed and remained in a sort of daze as he led her into the parlor where Yuki and Ken waited, sitting side by side on one of the couches. Taking a seat opposite them with Kaname, Reina reached for the tea that was set out on the table and poured each of them a cup in silence. Yuki was trying her best to sit still, but she couldn't stop fidgeting and tugging on her clothes, Ken reached over and took one of her hands in his to help cam her. She turned a bright red and looked up at Kaname who wasn't looking at her, but at Ken and he looked to be studying the man very intently. The way Kaname was scrutinizing Ken made Yuki nervous and her blush faded and she became rather pale, Reina looked up at the girl and seeing what she was looking at, glanced at Kaname.

It was obvious that he didn't trust Ken in his eyes and even though he was fairly relaxed there was something protective and predatory about his current position. Knowing him as well as she did, Reina knew that he felt he had to keep Yuki safe from anyone who might harm her at all. He didn't know Ken very well, it was only natural he be suspicious of him, but Reina trusted him and she was very happy for the two people across from them.

"Kaname," she began, resting her hand lightly on his and smiling. "Would you like some wine instead of tea. I would love a good glass of red wine, no offense to Cross, but his wine didn't suit my tastes."

Finally turning his gaze from Ken, his eyes softened as he looked at Reina. "A glass of wine would be nice, thank you, Reina."

"Of course, I'll be back in a moment. Would either of you like anything else," she asked Yuki and Ken as she stood from the couch.

"No, thank you," Yuki replied.

"I'm fine, thank you, Reina," Ken answered.

"I'll be back in a moment then," she said, disappearing through a partially hidden door in the north wall.

"It seems a lot happened while you were away," Ken observed. "Reina no longer appears upset with you, Kaname."

"You're right, a lot did happen while we were gone and there were many choices made and words said that were very hurtful to her, but in the end everything worked out. She still needs time though and I'm more than happy to be patient if that means I can see her smile for me again."

"Do you still love her, Kaname," Yuki asked innocently.

"I've always loved her," he sighed quietly. "It's hard not to fall in love with someone like Reina, she's far too beautiful, inside and out."

The side door creaked open and Reina walked in with two glasses of red wine, she glanced around the room and lifted a brow. "You were talking about me, weren't you?"

"Is it that obvious," Ken chuckled.

"Yes, you all looked guilty," Reina replied matter of factly. "Here you go," she said, handing Kaname a glass of wine before sitting back down and taking a small sip from her own glass. "Much better, now, how about we discuss what we came in here to discuss. I have a beautiful little girl I want to get back to."

"Right, well as Yuki said we would like to get married," Ken spoke up. "We would like Kaname's blessing since he is her brother and guardian. I know that this is very sudden and we aren't asking to married tomorrow even in the next several months, we are willing to wait as long as you would like us to."

"Why should I agree to let Yuki marry someone that comes from a family as twisted as yours? I'm aware that you have been basically disowned and do not want to be a part of that world, but you are who you are and you're a Takamora. Yuki is a Kuran, a pureblood of the highest caliber, while you are a pureblood yourself, your bloodline cannot rival our own, or even Reina's."

"Kaname," Reina cut in. "I understand that you don't think highly of Ken's family, but as you said yourself, he is no longer a part of that family and he's not like them. He has proven-"

"It's alright Reina," Ken stated. "I don't mind him voicing his opinions of my family. My blood may not be of the highest quality, but even he can't deny that I am a pureblood and while my blood is one thing, I love Yuki and would never let anyone in my family near her."

"You say you love her, you've known her for only a few months," Kaname pointed out.

"Sometimes it only takes a day, Kaname, you should know that," Reina said. "We may have been children, but I fell in love with you the first time I met you. Wasn't it the same for you?"

"Yes, but I didn't have much choice when you smiled at me and then proceeded to tug me in to the snow," Kaname replied.

Reina chuckled behind her wine glass. "Well, can you blame me? I never got to go outside before that and had never been in the snow and I had to stand still like a good little girl while you pulled into the drive. It was very difficult."

"I know, your father had to keep a hand on your shoulder to keep you from bolting to the car when we pulled up."

She laughed again, but didn't say anything, Kaname was relaxing now and was no longer dead set on saying no to Ken and Yuki's engagement. He wasn't quite ready to say yes yet either though. She knew it would take a bit of talking, but she was sure she could get Kaname to agree to the engagement. She was actually extremely excited about the prospect of the two getting married, she had thought they would make a cute couple since they had first met the fateful day that Rido was killed. They both were very kind and while Yuki was shy and quiet, Ken was rather sociable and forward. Not to mention they just looked good beside one another.

The discussion progressed slowly, but after a little over an hour it was decided that Yuki and Ken's engagement would be allowed. The arrangements for the wedding would be allowed to begin in two years, a few months after Yuki's eighteenth birthday. During that time they would both remain at Reina's manor with everyone else. Should anything happen that made Kaname feel the match wasn't suitable then he would voice that opinion and call off the wedding. After the two years was up the arrangements could begin and a date could be set for the wedding.

"Since that's decided, congratulations, but I'd like to go and see my daughter now," Reina hopped from the couch and happily danced from the room.

* * *

One year passed quickly for everyone. Yuki, Ken, Reina and Emiko were the only ones to remain at the manor the entire time. Everyone else was venturing off to reunite with family members and Kaname was in the process of creating a new Council in place of the one he had ended rather harshly and abruptly. The Aido's, Souen's and Kain's were all families that were to be included on the new Council as well as several other high ranked and trusted families from around the world.

At the moment the only ones in the manor were Yuki, Ken, Reina and Emiko. Hanabusa and Kain were expected back that night with Kaname, but as of yet there was no sign of the three men. The four were gathered in the library, Reina was reading a pop up picture book to Emiko while Yuki and Ken looked over an array of wedding magazines. They might still have to wait at least another year before getting married, but Yuki was ecstatic and wanted to know all of her options and she highly doubted that Kaname would have any objections to the match. He hadn't so far.

The date hadn't yet been decided but it was likely going to be in the fall or early winter. It wouldn't be too cold yet, but the skies wouldn't be quite so bright. The wedding itself would be outside and the reception could be held in the ballroom downstairs. The guest list was going to be small, only their closest friends and a select few others from high ranking noble families.

Reina was about to flip a page in the book when she hummed and looked towards the door. "They're home," she said quietly.

"I can't even sense them yet, are you sure?" Ken asked.

"Yes, my senses have become more reliable, I'm used to them now. I doubted them before or ignored them because I wasn't used to how strong they were, but I've begun to realize they aren't wrong and I should trust myself more."

"The after effects of having to put your vampiric side to 'sleep' lasted longer than I expected, but you're also a lot stronger than you were before. I suppose how you remember yourself and how you feel now make it difficult to gauge your own abilities," Ken replied.

Reina sighed and shrugged. "You're right, which is why I doubted myself so much, but I can't grow stronger if I continue doubting myself which means I can't protect this little girl," she smiled and tickled Emiko's sides, letting the toddler's giggles fill the room. "Uncle Hana's almost here, would you like to go and see him?"

Emiko squealed something that sounded like Hana and laughed happily before beginning to push herself up from the floor only to fall on to her butt again. A frown pulled at the young girl's lips and she tried to stand again, she managed to make it to her feet and take a few steps towards the door before plopping back down on to her butt and crying out unhappily.

Shaking her head, Reina stood up and walked to Emiko, leaning over the girl who held her hands out to her, she smiled and took the small hands in hers. Instead of lifting the girl from the ground, Reina helped Emiko to stand and then to steady her as she walked with shaky footsteps on her tiny feet.

By the time the pair had reached the entrance hall the car had pulled into the drive and the occupants were getting out of the sleek black vehicle. Reina stood off to the side of the door and kept her daughter's hands in her own as they waited for the door to open. As soon as it did Emiko broke free of her mother's grasp and waddled as quickly as she could towards it.

It was strange, at first Reina was laughing at the cute child and then a sudden feeling of fear washed over her and everything seemed to slow down. The door continued to open and slowly a body began to come into view and hands reached for Emiko, the fear in her built to the point that she could no longer ignore it and she moved without realizing it. Scooping the child up and into her arms, she held her fiercely to her chest before the other set of hands could touch her. The child's laughter stopped and was replaced by a startled cry that turned into a shower of tears and sniffles.

"Reina?"

Startled by the sound of her name, Reina's eyes widened and she looked up to see Hanabusa looking worriedly at her, Kaname was right behind him and he stepped around the blond to approach Reina. Her hands tightened on Emiko again as she glanced at the three men in the doorway that were all looking at her with concern, she blinked to try and clear her head. Her grasp loosened on Emiko and she couldn't even speak as the child was taken from her arms by Hanabusa after a word from Kaname.

Putting his hand on Reina's shoulder, Kaname steered her to a small, private sitting room in the back of the house just off of the dining room. She was so pliant that it didn't take much to guide her into a chair and crouch down in front of her. In the time that had past since returning home from the meetings with the Hunter's Association she had begun to trust him more and more again and at times it was almost like things between them had never turned sour. At other times, Reina was reminded that things had gone sour between them, that Kaname could be controlling and manipulative and callus despite the sugar coated words that he spouted.

"Reina," he asked quietly, brushing his fingers over her cheek. "What happened?"

She shook her head, opening her mouth to speak but finding no words and shaking her head again as she closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath she reopened her eyes and tried to speak again. "I... I don't know. One moment everything was normal and I was laughing at Emiko as she ran and then this intense feeling of fear overcame me. I knew who was outside, but I couldn't stop myself from moving to protect Emi even though there was no reason to. I just felt like she was in danger as the door opened and Hana reached out to her."

"No one here would ever harm her."

"I know that, but it's like I wasn't in control of my own actions. It was like a dream almost, it felt so strange."

"Are you alright," Kaname asked after a moment's silence.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

Kaname continued to study her, she was clearly shaken by what had happened and she looked tired as she stared at her hands that she had rested in her lap.

"Perhaps you should get some rest, Aido can look after Emiko for now," he said as he stood up and pushed some of her hair from her face. "I'll take you to your room."

* * *

"There's only so much I can do Kaname, but over time everything I do will become ineffective."

Kaname looked up at Ken from the messy papers that covered the bulky wooden desk in the office. "She's been having dreams of Takuma every few months, in every one of those, he either tries to kill her and Emiko or threatens to do so. If these are just dreams then they could be dismissed as such, but the chances of these being just simple dreams are..."

"Very low," Ken filled in as Kaname trailed off. "My father has always liked to torment people from afar, the dreams are too like him. Besides, Reina knows that Takuma would never hurt her or Emiko and she knows that he would never blame her for what happened to him. There's no reason why she would dream up these scenarios."

"She remembers each one, doesn't she?"

"Yes, very vividly in fact," Ken replied grimly, resting his elbow on the arm of the chair and propping his cheek up on his fist.

"The ones she was having while attending the Academy, she didn't usually remember those, so why does she remember these," Kaname inquired.

"I was the one responsible for most of those and I made her forget, she wasn't understanding what I was trying to show her and she was usually awoken before the dream could finish anyway. I was interrupted a few times myself, the time she attacked you and Ichijo was one of those times, Michael decided to take matters into his own hands and that's when everything went wrong."

"Those dreams were warnings, we know that now, but she realized it too late," Kaname said. "These dreams are not warnings."

Ken sighed heavily. "It depends on how you look at it."

His words piqued Kaname's interest and the brown haired man leaned back into the dark leather chair and crossed his legs. "I suppose it does, but if Takuma is dead then what are the dreams warning her of? That she and Emiko are in danger because of him?"

"Are you certain that Takuma Ichijo is dead? Do you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that he didn't survive that day two years ago?"

Kaname eyed Ken for a moment before heaving a sigh of his own. "No."

* * *

It's short I know, but this is where I wanted to leave off and the next chapter should be fairly long.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, fave'd, alerted and read this, you're awesome!

Please review!


	17. Chapter 17 Engaging Affairs

Disclaimer- I do not own Vampire Knight

I'd like to remind everyone that there is a reason this is rated M. Citrus-y content ahead, you've been warned.

**Chapter 17**

**Engaging Affairs  
**

A date for Ken and Yuuki's wedding had been set for mid-October and it seemed that now that summer was quickly coming to an end that the special day was fast approaching. The manor was in constant motion with the preparations and deliveries were coming and going on a daily basis. The guest list was fairly small only a select few noble families had been invited and of course Cross and Zero had been invited as well.

The general mood seemed to be quite happy and upbeat the nearer that the date came and though it was nice to be in such and environment Reina was beginning to find it a little stifling and was going to be glad once it was all over and her home could return to some sort of peaceful state.

Three days before the wedding found her leaning against the decorative wood molding that encased the window in what had once been her father's office but was now considered Kaname's office. The dark haired pureblood could be found there more often than he could be found in his room or in any other part of the house. He had been in the manor frequently in the past six months, the new found Council was handling their duties quite well, for the most part, and he had no need to travel as often. Though he was there often, he was hardly ever seen, it was as if he was nothing more than a ghost. They could all sense him, but rarely actually saw him.

Her sapphire eyes were closed as she leaned her head into the bookshelf that flanked the right side of the window, her body swayed slightly in tune to the soft notes that were filling the air from the small, sleek stereo system that was set up on one of the shelves of the bookcase she was resting her head on. She was dressed in a thin midnight blue ballet like skirt that fell several inches below her knees, her shirt was a white deep scoop neck that fit her snugly and in her current position revealed a small portion of her pale stomach. Her hair was pulled up into a ponytail and a silver ribbon was used to secure it.

Kaname was sitting behind the desk, his back to her and the top of his head barely visible over the top of the black leather chair. He had several open letters before him and he was reading through them while he rested his cheek against the back of his hand. Every so often he would let out a quiet sigh and shift in the chair, but beside that he hardly moved or made a sound. His calmness and the way he seemed so at ease while everyone else seemed to be overly enthusiastic and giggly was intensely comforting to Reina who was so used to peace and quiet that the unusual rush of activity was beginning to stress her out. She had been spending more and more time around him in the past several days, his aura and presence was always so stable and relaxed that it helped her calm her own nerves.

Of course Kaname had no objections to her spending as much time as she wanted around him for much the same reasons she enjoyed his company. Being around her was like being around an angel and the warmth that she exuded was welcome in his rather dark and blood stained world. He was also happy for the way she seemed to becoming attached to him again, she was returning her usual almost childlike and innocent self as the past grew to be further away and she was surrounded by so many companions and spent much of her time with her now three year old daughter.

Reina had only been in the room for a few minutes, she had wanted to read a book that she remembered being kept in here. She had found the book and had leaned against the window to flip through the pages to be sure it was what she was actually looking for, the book was still open and resting in one hand while her other hand was being used to skim beneath the lines. The calming notes of the classical music that was playing had distracted her and she had ended up staying where she was, enjoying the peaceful moment and allowing her eyes to flutter shut.

It wasn't until Kaname sighed tiredly and shuffled some of the papers on the desk that Reina reopened her eyes and looked over her shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, I'm just tired. The Council is proving to be quite a bit more troublesome than I had anticipated."

"I suppose that was to be expected," Reina replied, stepping away from the window and the early evening periwinkle sky and to the other side of the desk. "Things will get better in time. Once everyone settles into their positions and sees that they all have a say regardless of what rank they hold on this Council."

Kaname sighed, running his elegant fingers through his brown locks and pushing himself away from the desk, but remaining in the large chair. "While I'm sure you're right, that doesn't keep them from complaining about every little thing to me."

She laughed lightly, smiling at the annoyed frown that tugged on Kaname's lips. "You've completely changed the vampire world in a matter of just a few years, some of them are still not quite settled and feel that this peace won't last. They look to you for guidance because they respect you."

"How is Emiko," Kaname asked, wanting a brief moment to think of things other than his duties as the king of an entire race.

"Far too energetic for a three year old," she sighed. "She's got more energy than I can handle and she keeps draining poor Hana of his on top of that. The poor thing looks like he was hit by train, but Emi just won't leave him alone and he can't tell her no."

"Can you?"

"No, no one can," she answered with a small shake of her head. "Anyways, I'll leave you be, I found what I was looking for," she said, holding up the thick hard covered book she had wanted only to accidentally drop it. She gasped when a corner of the book sliced her palm leaving a small scratch that leaked a tiny amount of her blood. Raising her hand to her mouth, Reina let her lips close over the small cut as she leaned over to pick up the book with her other hand. It was as she was standing back up that she realized that Kaname had stiffened, his eyes had taken on a slight red glow and he was staring intently at her hand. "How long has it been Kaname," she asked quietly, pulling her hand away from her mouth and lowering it to her side.

"Not as long as it has been for you," he answered, raising a hand to rub at his temples as he closed his eyes and leaned into the comfort of his chair. "I'm fine."

Reina frowned. "You're not fine, Kaname. I grew up on tablets, you did not. They are enough for me, but I'm not running myself as ragged as you are."

"You don't need to be concerned, I'm fine."

She stared at him for a moment before sighing and shaking her head and closing her eyes. "You're thirsty and you're refusing to drink, you're not fine."

"Who do you propose I drink from then," he questioned blandly.

Remaining silent, she studied Kaname for a few moments. She stepped forward, setting her book on the corner of the desk as she approached Kaname. "Me," she said quietly, running the tips of her fingers over his forehead and brushing some of his hair from his face to kiss his forehead.

He looked up at her, surprised by her response, but he masked the emotion and just looked blankly at her.

"You can drink from me," she repeated softly.

Slowly and without ever breaking eye contact, Reina leaned over Kaname, placing her left knee on the chair and using the back to support herself as she pulled her other leg on to the chair and settled herself onto his lap.

"Reina-"

"Shut up Kaname," she breathed, letting her hands glide from the smooth leather onto his chest as she leaned forward, her breath caressing his neck and making his heart quicken its pace. "You want me, don't you? You've always wanted me, even when you couldn't have me." She placed a gentle kiss on his neck, nipping lightly at the thin skin and smiling when he took a sharp breath in.

"That maybe so," he answered, gently pushing her back. "But you don't want me and I have no intention of further damaging our relationship by taking advantage of you."

"Taking advantage of me, I'm offering myself to you, you're not taking advantage of me."

"Why are you doing this Reina," he inquired with a tired sigh as he looked up into her sapphire eyes.

"Because I've always loved you, Kaname," she replied, leaning her forehead against his and smiling softly. "That love has gone through several changes, but it has always been there in some form and it has always made it hard to be angry with you. I've been angry long enough Kaname, I don't want to be upset with you anymore, I'm not upset with you anymore, I just don't know what to do. It's been so long since things have been okay between us that I felt they never would be again. You've always tried to protect me, to help me, I may not have agreed with how you've done those things, but I know you would never do anything to hurt me. You've been working yourself so hard lately, you're not sleeping, you're not eating and you're not taking any tablets, why are you doing this to yourself, why are you letting yourself become such a mess? It's hard to see you like this, Kaname, I want to help you, please let me help you." Her voice was quiet, pleading as she ran her thumb over his cheekbone and stared evenly into his crimson eyes.

He didn't immediately answer her, he was letting her words settle in his mind, letting her scent calm him and her steady breathing and heart beat lull him into a sort of trance. When he spoke, it was difficult for him to actually say the words, they weren't what he wanted to say. "I'm fine, Reina. I'm sorry I've made you worry." He truly was sorry for worrying her, but he wasn't fine and he wanted nothing more than to claim her blood for himself right there.

"You're lying," she said almost harshly. "Why? I am offering my blood to you, you have offered me yours in the past-"

"And you've only taken it once, when you knew you had to drink, I'm not the man you love and you yourself said that only the blood of a lover-"

"I know what I said," she cut in sharply, leaning back so that their foreheads were no longer touching. "I've already told you, haven't I? That I love you."

"What about Ichijo," he asked, expecting her to back down at the mention of the man she had been engaged to three years before.

"He isn't here anymore and I would like to think that he would want me to be happy," Reina answered evenly, she no longer felt an immense amount of pain when thinking of talking about her past lover, she still did and always would love him, but she felt that he would want her to move on, not dwell on his memory alone forever.

"That doesn't change the fact that you don't love me in the same way, I don't want you doing something that you will later regret."

"Then I won't do anything that I'll regret," she replied, her voice a husky whisper as she raised her wrist to her glossed pink lips and bit into the thin, pale flesh. Her eyes were again locked with Kaname's as she sucked her own blood from her veins, she ignored the few drops that slipped from beneath her lips to drop onto her blue skirt as she pulled her wrist away from her mouth and cupped Kaname's cheeks in her palms, running her thumb over his lips, she lowered her mouth to his expecting him to resist and at first he did, but a quick tug to his hair that she had gathered in one of her hands that had found its way to the back of his head, made him gasp and part his lips. Reina let the liquid flow from her mouth to Kaname's before pulling away slightly and kissing the corner of his lips as he swallowed her blood. A small line of blood had leaked from his lips and without hesitation, she let her tongue collect the liquid and her lips close over his bottom lip.

"Reina," Kaname uttered, running his hands over her arms and trying to push her off of himself. She wound up on her feet, her legs still on either side of him.

"Push me away now and you will never have the chance to have me again, is that what you want? Or do you want to stop and take me, the woman you have always desired," Reina asked bluntly, leaning into the desk now that she was back on her feet and regarding Kaname with a look that clearly told him he had better make a decision and quickly or she would do so for him.

When he did nothing but stare at her, contemplating her question, she sighed and shook her head. "Fine," she said, slipping from her spot against the desk to head for the door.

She jolted to a stop as she was beginning to turn away, her wrist caught in a firm grasp as Kaname stood up, pinning her to the desk behind her. He released her wrist and when she turned back to him, her eyes wide as his lips crashed down on to hers. She didn't fight him as he hungrily kissed her and let his hands roam down her body and gently lift her onto the desk. He pushed the fabric of her skirt up, his fingers brushing over her thighs and eliciting a small groan from Reina. His lips left hers and trailed down her neck, his hands went to her waist, pulling her roughly into his body as one of her small hands buried itself in his hair and the other clutched onto his back.

His tongue teased the skin of her neck before his fangs plunged into her, she cried out, her head tilting back and her back arching, pressing their bodies tighter against each other as she let her nails dig into his back. He drank slowly, savoring every drop of blood that filled his mouth and occasionally flicking his tongue against Reina's neck just to make the small woman groan and clutch to him tighter than she already was.

Kaname could feel the heat of Reina's body, the rise and fall of her chest against his own and hear the way her heart was thumping in response to their closeness. Not wanting to stop drinking down the deliciously floral blood that filled her body, but not wanting to take too much from her, he pulled his fangs from her neck, keeping his lips over the spot to lick the wounds he had inflicted upon her to help them heal faster, he sucked the spot gently before loosening his grasp on her, he was surprised he hadn't actually crushed her with the force he had been holding onto her with. His lips brushed over her neck before he lifted his head and captured her lips in his passionately.

Their lips moved together with an intense need and hunger that made everything else completely meaningless at the moment. Kaname reached behind her head, pulling the ribbon that held her hair in its ponytail and letting it drift to the floor as he ran his fingers through her silky locks.

Pulling away from Reina, Kaname tilted her chin up with his fingers and kissed her forehead, he nearly forgot what he had wanted to say when he looked at her red tinted cheeks and inviting blue eyes. "Not here," was all he said, lifting her from the desk and holding her against himself as she steadied herself on shaky legs. He took her hand and led her from the office, Hanabusa was in the hall, having woken up from Emiko's most recent energy draining, both purebloods ignored him as they walked into the first door to the left only a few steps from the office and shut the door behind them. The curtains were still drawn in the room, casting the whole room into shadow once the door shut.

The icy eyed boy blinked at the door at the far end of the hall, unsure what he had just witnessed, but knowing better than to meddle. Recovering himself, he made his way downstairs to bug the cooks for some food since he was starving and needed something to try and replenish his energy.

The second the door had closed, Kaname had Reina pressed up against it with his hands tracing the curves of her body until he grasped her thighs and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips once again feverishly moved together, she could feel the muscles of his arms against her back, holding her body against his so that she wouldn't fall as he stepped away from the wall. Their lips never parted until Reina was gently set upon the unmade bed and Kaname took a moment to simply study her. When he saw that there was no hesitation or uncertainty in her eyes, he tenderly kissed her jaw and made his way to her lips, as his lips closed in on hers the tender kisses became more urgent as the desire built up between them.

Reina undid the buttons of Kaname's shirt, running the tips of her fingers over his perfect chest and shoulders and pushing the fabric off of his body, he removed his hands from her face and let her hands deftly push the shirt off of his arms. It fell to the floor behind him, forgotten before it even hit the ground. His fingers grazing her sides lightly, he pushed her shirt up her torso, she backed away and raised her arms over her head, meeting his eyes with a look so full of want that Kaname had a hard time controlling himself and not just ripping her clothes from her body to claim her as his own for once and all.

A small moan escaped Reina's mouth as her eyes closed and her head tilted back in response to the teasing and tantalizing feel of Kaname's hands tracing the outside of her legs with his nimble fingers until he grasped her thighs and pulled her forcefully against him so that she could feel the intense heat that was emanating from his body. Struggling to not hurt the insanely beautiful and delicate woman in his arms, Kaname laid Reina on her back and slipped her thin skirt from her body, leaving her in only a white lace bra and matching panties.

Kissing her hip, Kaname had to suppress a groan as Reina sighed lustfully and her legs wrapped themselves around him. He continued to let his hands wonder the curves of Reina's body while his lips explored what his hands couldn't, kissing, biting, teasing while Reina ran her own fingers through his hair, occasionally tightly grasping it in her hold as she let out content moans. Continuing his exploration of her body, Kaname slid his hands up her arms, entwining their fingers and pinning her arms above her head as he recaptured her lips in a dizzying kiss that left Reina in a hazy, lust filled world where time stopped and she lost track of everything. The only thing she knew was that the desire to keep Kaname in her grasp for as long as possible so that their bodies could move over one another in perfect harmony was so intense that she could hardly register what was going on.

He was like a drug to her, she forgot everything but him and could only focus on him and nothing else. She could feel his steady, strong heartbeat against her chest, feel the tickle of his breath against her ear and the warmth of his body pressing into her own and smell the overwhelmingly masculine scent that he exuded. She didn't know when or even how, the touches were all so light, careful and loving and done with so little thought that their naked bodies were now entangled together on the bed, the sheets a mess around them and they had yet to even join their bodies.

It was much the same for Kaname as it was for Reina, he was lost to the feel of her skin, the delicate and alluring scent that emanated from every inch of her body and to the unconscious noises she made as he caressed her insanely smooth and silky skin. There was nothing aside from her in his world at that moment, no worries and no cares whatsoever, just the two of them and nothing more, nothing less.

Letting his hands run through her long hair, he unlocked their slightly swollen lips to press his forehead into hers and stare into her eyes as her chest rose and fell as she caught her breath. Her cheeks were tinted a beautiful shade of pink and her eyes were half closed as if she were on the verge of sleep. There was no other thought in his mind as he thrust his hips forward a bit more forcefully than he had intended and plunged himself into her. She cried out, her back arching, forcing their bodies to meld together even more tightly as her leg that was twisted around his pulled him even closer to her.

There was nothing they could do to fight the primal urges that made the both of them clutch onto each other, nipping at exposed flesh, pulling on silky hair and grasping unyieldingly at any portion of their bodies that they could. Having wanted her for so long, it was a fruitless battle for Kaname to try and pace himself and take her with delicacy, he couldn't control his own body as he buried himself in her repeatedly and her body replied so honestly, her eyes closing as she cried out and groaned in pleasure, her cheeks pink and coated in a shiny coat of sweat. Her nails dug into his back as his hands gripped her waist, guiding her body and coaxing even more of a reaction out of her as he ground their bodies together.

Her breathing heightened, her heart sped up and she grasped at every inch of him that she could before putting her head on his shoulder and uttering his name. Hearing his name uttered from such perfect lips in such a manner was too much for Kaname, pulling her against his body and burying himself as deeply into her all too willing body, he too groaned, his back arching, pressing their already sensitive centers together. The two could only grasp onto each other, panting and moaning as all of their desire exploded into an intense and mind blowing climax.

That was far from the end of their night, having sated their overwhelming need for one another, Kaname rolled Reina onto her back and positioned himself above her, their bodies never once separating. He kissed her exposed throat and collar bone all the while gently rocking their heated bodies together.

The entire night was lost in a haze of lust blurred images and feelings so intense yet tender that neither one ever had to utter a single word to express their feelings. They were clearly written on their faces and showing in their glossy eyes and the loving gestures and kisses they bestowed upon one another.

* * *

Kaname lightly trailed kisses from Reina's naked shoulder to her jaw, the sleeping woman sighed softly and a small smile curved her lips. The tips of his fingers were grazing the smooth flesh of her side and arm, memorizing the shape of her body and the feel of her bare form curled up against his own. She looked so beautiful and peaceful as she slept with her back pressed into his chest that he didn't want to move and risk waking her, but they had been lost to each other's bodies for hours and he had taken a good deal of her blood from her and he was sure she would be both hungry and thirsty when she awoke.

Slipping from the bed, Kaname pulled a black blanket over her since all that currently covered her was a silky but thin gray sheet. She groaned and rolled on to her back, fluttering her eyes open to peer at him sleepily.

"Get some more sleep, I won't be gone long," he told her softly, leaning down to kiss her forehead tenderly and stroke her cheek. When her eyes closed, he stepped away from the bed and made his way to his private bathroom.

* * *

Reina's brows furrowed and she groaned, she writhed around in the bed for a moment, stretching and rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she looked over to see that Kaname was gone, she huffed and a small frown took up residence on her face before she heard the soft sound of a masculine chuckle. Holding the sheet over her chest, she pushed herself up and turned to see that Kaname was sitting on the sofa to the right of the bed, there were two trays set on the wooden table in front of him.

"What are you laughing at," she grumbled tiredly, flipping some of her messy white hair out of her face.

"You," he answered, standing from the couch and picking up a bundle of fabric that had been sitting beside him. "I brought you some tea, chai and some milk. There's also some food, I thought you might be hungry," he said, holding out the bundle of fabric to her that she realized was actually a robe.

Still holding the sheet to her chest, Reina slid to the edge of the bed and let her feet glide to the soft carpeting before standing up and letting go of the sheet, Kaname's eyes roamed over her body as she turned around so he could help her into the white satin robe. She tied the robe around her waist, smiling as Kaname wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck. Shimmying around in his arms, she smiled up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Good morning," she said, kissing him on the lips.

"Not anymore."

Humming and frowning thoughtfully, she looked around Kaname to the old fashioned clock on the dresser. She blinked at the hands before blushing when she realized that if it wasn't morning then they had spent over twenty four hours in his room and she knew for a fact that most of that time wasn't spent sleeping.

"I should check on Emiko, she's probably-"

"She's sleeping, it seems she spent the day trying to teach Aido how to dance for the wedding and wore herself out," he informed her. Seeing that she wasn't entirely satisfied with his answer as she frowned and looked towards the door, he grasped her chin with his thumb and index finger and turned her face towards him. "She's fine, Reina, I promise. You can look in on her after having some tea and getting cleaned up, until then just relax."

She let out a long sigh, but nodded. "Alright."

"How are you feeling," he asked as they both sat down and Reina reached over to pour herself a cup of steaming hot tea.

"Tired, though I think that's to be expected after last night and this morning and afternoon apparently," she replied, grinning at him from behind her cup as she raised it to her lips.

"Are you complaining," he asked teasingly.

She shook her head having just taken a sip of her tea and hummed out a denial. "Nope, as a matter of fact, I think we should do that again," she said after swallowing her tea.

"Weren't you worried about me over exerting myself yesterday?"

"Yes, but that was with your work, I hardly call anything we've done in the last twenty-four hours work."

"Are you happy," he asked after a short silence as he ran his hand through her hair, playing with the loose waves and letting them slip through his fingers.

Not having expected the question or the way he had gone from playful and happy, which was such a rare thing for him, to sounding almost worried and uncertain. Setting her tea cup down on the table, Reina took Kaname's face in her hands and kissed his forehead, his nose and then his lips. "Yes, I'm happy, Kaname, very happy. Why are you asking me that?"

"I love you, Reina."

"I know that Kaname, I love you too."

"I've only ever made you suffer even though I've only wanted to protect you. You have forgiven me time and time again for being the monster that I am when you shouldn't have, you deserve so much better than-"

She silenced him by placing a finger over his lips. "Please stop," she whispered. "I know I've called you a monster, I know I've said a lot of things that I can't take back, but that's all in the past. Everything is in the past, lets leave it there. You've given our world the opportunity to start over and start fresh, why don't we do the same thing. Just forget about everything else that happened and focus on now and the future, on us."

"I don't want to spoil the innocence you possess, it's such a rare thing to find in one of our own kind, I don't want to be responsible for tainting it with these blood covered hands."

"Your hands may be covered in blood, but you are not the monster you think you are and I will gladly let you taint me with those hands. The hands that have only ever tried to bring peace to our world like your parents wanted, like my parents wanted."

"The same hands that are responsible for taking everything you cared about away from you, I was even responsible for your death, even if it wasn't real."

"You didn't take everything from me Kaname. I have you, Emiko, Hanabusa, Ken and everyone else that has made themselves comfortable here. I don't blame you for what happened to me or to Takuma. It was Takuma's choice to fight his grandfather and to be honest, I think he would have done the same thing even if he knew I was still alive, otherwise he never would have been free of him. He needed to prove to his grandfather that he wasn't just a tool like Ichio had tried to raise him to be. Don't blame yourself, you let him do as he wished instead of interfering with his pride and I don't blame you for that."

Kaname let silence fall over them and he sighed when Reina ran her hand over his cheek, letting his eyes close as he enjoyed the feeling of her warm touch. He let her pull him forward and lightly kiss his lips, nose, forehead and cheek before capturing her lips in his again hungrily. As much as he wanted her in that moment he found himself thinking of a conversation he had had over a year earlier and one question kept repeating itself in his head.

"_Do you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that Takuma Ichijo is dead?"_

Reina breathed in deeply as Kaname's hands found their way to her cheeks and then slid down her arms, he guided her to lean back into the arm of the chaise and positioned himself over her. The sound of her heightened breathing and the way she said his name so lustfully made him push everything but her to the back of his mind and allow himself to fall into the depths of the red hot desire that was consuming him.

* * *

"You seem awfully cheery this evening," Ken remarked, walking into Reina's room, the door had been left open and she was humming a tune to herself and had a smile on her face as she danced around the room, gathering a few things that were needed to finish preparing for the wedding that was now only hours away.

She had jumped, she had been so lost in her own little world that she hadn't realized the man was there, she turned towards him and couldn't help but to lift a brow at the amused smirk on the brown haired man's face. "Is that a problem, aren't I allowed to be happy on my friend's wedding day?" She inquired tersely.

His smirk only grew. "Of course you are, but you've been locked up in Kaname's room for nearly two and a half days I somehow doubt your good mood has anything to do with the wedding."

Her cheeks immediately burned bright red, but she tried her best to look unaffected by his words. "I have no idea what you're talking about... and it's not your business anyway."

"I'm not trying to pry, but I've never seen you smile like that," Ken told her with a warm smile as he smirk faded. "I'm happy for you, Kaname cares a great deal about you and though he's not always the best at showing it, he loves you very much as well."

"I know," Reina smiled. "And I love him too."

* * *

The petite blond woman lay beside her taller lover running her fingers over his bare chest before looking up into his gray tinted green eyes. "I must say that wasn't nearly as fun as I had expected," she stated bitterly.

The man beside her growled, shoving the woman away from himself and pushing himself up onto the pillows before tossing his blond hair from his eyes and rubbing at his temples. "The damn brat has been annoying ever since we decided to see just what the little Tsukina princess is up to. He's too damn happy for her even though she was promised to him and she's throwing herself at Kuran, he doesn't feel angry or jealous, just happy and it's annoying. I can't push his feelings to the back of my mind."

"Can't say I'm surprised," the blond sighed. "Takuma has always been such a kind boy."

* * *

Dundundun!!!!!

Cliffhanger.

Byebye, and review would you please, I've been getting way less reviews lately and it's depressing me. I can't write while I'm depressed, so feed me happy pills in the form of reviews, K? ;)


	18. Chapter 18 Broken Hearts

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 18**

**Stolen Hearts**

Reina couldn't help but to let a musical chuckle slip past her glossy lips as Emiko stubbornly stared at her from where she sat in her bed, her chubby little arms folded over her pink butterfly print pajamas and an exaggerated pout on her round face that was framed by her golden locks of wispy hair.

"I'm sorry, Emi, but the party is for grown ups, you're still too young to attend. Stay here and play with Setsuka, I'll check in on you later, ok?"

"No, I wanna go to. I wanna be with mommy," the little girl whined, her deep blue eyes beginning to fill with tears and her lower lip trembling.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, but you can't come with me," Reina said, running her hand through her daughter's hair.

"Please," Emiko sniffled, her childish voice soft and quiet.

"I'm sorry Emi, but no matter how many times you ask or how much you pout, I'm afraid you still can't come to the party, it's not proper for a little girl. I need to go, everyone's waiting. I love you and I'll come see you again later," Reina leaned down to brush a light kiss against Emiko's forehead and smiled at the stubborn look on the little girl's face now that she knew she wouldn't be allowed to go and that her cute pout and puppy eyes had no effect on her mother. "Sorry little one, but your pouts only work on Uncle Hana," she tapped Emiko's nose with a thin finger and smiled before turning to sweep from the room.

* * *

There was no fighting the grin that kept appearing on her pink lips as she was led around the dance floor by Kaname, her long sapphire dress breezing around her legs as she gracefully performed every step of the dance before the music came to a soft halt as the small orchestra that had been hired to play for the night paused to allow the dancers to either continue dancing to the next song or take a break and enjoy the fine foods and wines that were on display.

Curtsying to Kaname, Reina laughed as she held a hand to her chest. "I think it's time for me to take break, I'm rather thirsty."

"Whatever you wish," Kaname replied, holding his arm out to her. He was well dressed in black slacks a white shirt and a black jacket with a simple blue tie that matched the color of Reina's dress.

Taking the hand that was being offered to her, Reina smiled and let Kaname lead her through the thin crowd of people that had gathered for Yuuki and Ken's marriage. Many people had a hard time keeping their eyes off of the pair, they looked absolutely stunning together and Reina was breathtaking in her backless Grecian styled dress with tiny silver beads embellishing the strap that wrapped around the front of the dress and secured it over her shoulders. Her long white hair was in a partial bun with much of the silky locks left loose and curled into ringlets. Her makeup was done simply, as usual, and she wore just a light dusting of powder of her pale skin and her eyes were lined in silver and her lashes coated in black. There was no doubting that she was one of the most beautiful vampires in existence and though she had tried to keep her dress simple as well as her makeup, there were murmurs that she was still more beautiful than the blushing bride that was currently dancing with the man who had not long ago become her lifelong partner.

Yuuki looked exquisite herself, she was dressed in a beautiful sleeveless white satin gown that had a v-neck of sorts with an intricate beaded belt just beneath her best. The dress was long and Yuuki had to use a thin wrist strap to keep the train from getting stepped on or in the way as she dance. Her hair was pulled into a twisted and elaborate bun and decorated with a pearl and diamond tiara. She looked beautiful, it was hard to imagine that just a few years before she was the same girl that seemed so awkward and not all that feminine.

"She really does look so happy," Reina observed as she daintily lifted a champagne flute from the tray of a passing waiter. "I have a hard time remembering that she is the same little girl that used to get so nervous around you at school."

"She has grown a great deal in the past few years, she's become accustomed to what and who she is," Kaname answered.

Reina rolled her eyes when she heard exaggerated sniffles coming from somewhere a few feet behind her. "Cross, are you alright?" She asked, turning to look at the man and having to choke back a laugh when she saw that Cross was leaning on a very unhappy looking Zero that looked as if he was trying very hard to not knock the overly emotional crazy hunter across the room.

"Sh-she looks so beautiful. My little girl is all grown up," Cross sobbed.

"She's not your little girl, you big oaf, now get off of me before you ruin my jacket," Zero growled shaking the blond man from his arm.

"And Reina looks so wonderful too, give daddy a hug."

Given their close proximity, her long dress and four inch high heels, Reina wasn't going to be able to move out of the way in time without causing more of a scene then was necessary. She cringed in anticipation only to find that Zero had grabbed the man's collar and was giving him a reproving look. Cross simply sulked mumbling something beneath his breath that sounded awfully like 'no one loves their daddy anymore'.

"Would you control yourself," Zero grumbled releasing the former headmaster and glaring warningly at him. "You're causing a scene."

"It's nice to see you again, Zero. How have you been these last two years," Reina asked, smiling at the handsome lavender eyed boy, no he could no longer be called a boy, but man. He had grown a bit taller than he already was and it was easy to see that he really as no longer human, his skin was flawless and pale and his silver hair was perfect. Even his aura didn't seem the same anymore, it was tinged with a darkness that had never been there before. The darkness that signified him as a vampire, just like the majority of the people in the room.

Zero's eyes cornered over to Kaname for a moment and a spark of annoyance was obvious in them before he replied. "Fine, I've been busy."

"I'm sure you have. Would you like to dance, I happen to really like this next piece," she inquired, setting her now empty glass down on the nearest table and looking expectantly at Zero.

He didn't move at first, but knowing how persistent she could be, Zero sighed and stepped forward to offer her his hand, even bowing politely as he was expected to when addressing one of her stature.

Wordlessly taking the offered hand, the pair walked into the center of the dance floor just as soft, quiet notes began to fill the air. They took their places, staring into each others' eyes and placing their hands in the correct position before they began a slow waltz around the room.

"Just say whatever it is you want to say," Reina urged quietly, seeing the way that Zero kept looking at her.

"So you've forgiven him finally, Kuran?"

Reina sighed. "I forgave him quite sometime ago, I've just been taking my time on letting him back into my life."

"You look at him differently now," Zero observed monotonously.

"Do I?" She questioned innocently.

"Yeah, you look at him the same way you used to look at Ichijo."

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes widened for a moment, she faltered in the dance steps and nearly tripped over her own feet before regaining herself and continuing on as if nothing had happened. "Is that so? I wasn't aware that you spent so much time watching me." Her voice sounded almost harsh as she spoke.

"Do you love him," he asked softly.

Looking up into the lavender eyes that were watching her so carefully, Reina couldn't help but close her eyes and turn her head away. "Yes, I love him." The words hurt him, she knew they did, but she chose to be honest and not lie to him. There was never going to be a relationship between the two of them and though Zero knew that, she knew that he couldn't help how he felt for her.

"If he hurts you again-"

"I don't plan on doing any such thing," Kaname cut in, appearing beside them in the dim light of the room. "Pardon me, Kiryu, but the dance is almost over and there was something I needed to take care of."

"Kaname-"

Reina stopped speaking as the music came to a halt and one of the chandeliers that just so happened to be directly above them brightened slightly, illuminating she and Kaname as the crimson eyed man stepped before her. She looked around and was fairly surprised to find that everyone's eyes were on them and she couldn't help but to feel a little embarrassed, it wasn't her day after all, it was Yuuki's and Ken's and the spotlight at the moment was definitely not on them. She caught sight of the newlywed couple and she was confused by the gigantic smile on Yuuki's face as she clutched at Ken's arm. Even Ken had a large smile on his face as he smiled at the confusion that was evident on Reina's.

"Kaname, what's....what are you doing," she asked shakily as he lowered himself to one knee in front of her.

"I love you, Reina," he began.

She couldn't find her voice to reply in anyway, she could only stare dumbfounded at Kaname as he adoringly looked up at her and gently took her left hand, bringing it to his lips and lightly kissing the tops of her fingers.

"I'd like to marry you, you're the only one I can find peace with, the only one who can calm me and the only one who will accept me as I am. Will you accept my love, Reina, will you marry me?"

There were tears welling up in her eyes and a lump forming in her throat. Taking a shaky breath and swallowing the growing lump, she tightened her grip on Kaname's hand, but she couldn't reply. She didn't know _how _to reply.

She loved him, she knew that, she had always loved and she always would and though it had devastated her when he had ended their original engagement so long ago, it had been a good thing in the long run. For both of them. They both learned many things and gained a better understanding of not only each other but the world.

The tears that had filled her eyes overflowed and trailed down her cheeks as she struggled to breathe again since she had forgotten to do so in the last several seconds. She took an unsteady breath in and closed her eyes, the hand that Kaname was holding in his own finally regained feeling that had been lost when he had asked her to marry him and she squeezed it, but she still couldn't answer.

Kaname watched the emotion on her face and knew that she was having a hard time replying let alone recover from the shock of his question. He hadn't expected her to answer quickly, but he hadn't expected her to be so surprised. His hands cupped her cheeks, his thumbs wiping away the tears that were gliding down her cheeks as he put their foreheads together and stared into her eyes that she had just reopened.

"You don't have to answer now, there's no rush-"

She shook her head, muttering a quiet "No," under her breath.

"No?" Kaname repeated, his voice uncertain and tinged with sadness.

"I don't need time to think about anything, I was just shocked, I'm sorry," she told him through her tears that continued to fall from her sapphire eyes as she gazed up at him and smiled a misty smile at him.

"There's no reason to be sorry, Reina, I understand. I haven't been-"

"You fool," Reina mumbled, sniffing before taking his face in her hands and capturing his lips with her own for a brief moment. When she pulled away, she was smiling again. "I was apologizing for not answering, I wasn't saying no."

Kaname stared at her for several seconds until a smile pulled at his lips. "If you're not saying no, then what are you saying?"

"What do you think," she replied, leaning forward to kiss him again, smiling against his lips as the crowd around them broke into applause.

* * *

A red glass vase holding a beautiful arrangement of red roses exploded violently, sending pieces of glass shooting across the entire room and leaving a wet mess on the table it had been sitting on in the dimly lit windowless room.

"Are you jealous," a girlish voice asked, wrapping her thin arms around the neck of the blond man that sat in a chair behind a desk in the center of the room. "She was yours after all, she should be yours."

"Shut up, Sara," the man growled, but it sounded wrong coming from the beautiful lips of the pale, angelic face as his hands grasped at his long hair. "I'm having enough trouble sharing this body, I don't need you trying to stir the annoying pest that actually owns it up anymore. He's not rising to your provocations anyways, is he stupid or something?"

"No, Takuma is quite smart, don't let him fool you," Sara replied coyly. "He loves that woman and no man likes to see the woman he loves in the arms of another. He knows he can't be there to make her happy anymore and he's trying to remain positive, otherwise he'll lose the small hold he still has over his own body."

"There is one thing that makes it difficult for him to remain positive," the man said a sultry undertone creeping into his voice.

Giggles filled the silence of the room as Sara leaned over the chair, her blond hair spilling over the chest of the man that sat in it as she lowered her head towards his neck. Her tongue slid over the smooth skin of his and his arms rose to bury themselves in her hair, tugging at the silky locks as her fangs pierced into his neck. Her own small hands made their way to the buttons of the black shirt he wore, undoing the buttons one by one and then letting her hands glide over his chest before raking her nails over his skin.

The man groaned, his back arching, enjoying the feeling of Sara's nails digging into his flesh. Grabbing her arm roughly, he pulled her around the chair and into his lap. He pushed the lace of her high collar out of the way, ripping the fabric as he trailed rough kisses down her throat.

"So is it that Takuma doesn't like playing rough or is it that you're touching me with the hands that he feels should only be used to touch Reina," Sara asked huskily, pulling him closer to her as he nipped at her skin.

"He feels like he's betraying her whenever I touch you like this."

"Silly boy," she giggled. "She's the one doing the betraying. Her beloved fiance is still alive and she's not only sleeping with his best friend, she's engaged to him and she's enjoying every minute of it."

"You're making the poor boy upset, Sara."

"Like you care, Michael."

"Good point, I don't."

* * *

This chapter is very short and I'm sorry, but this how I wanted to end it. It just seemed right to me. Hope you enjoyed it and now we all know that Takuma is indeed still alive, but not in control of his own body....

I've started an Ouran fic for anyone who's interested, it's called Broken Princess, take a look if you'd like.

Thank you to those of you who reviewed last chapter, I know several of you weren't quite thrilled with Kaname and I can only assume that this chapter makes you even less thrilled, just don't kill me yet, I have a plan, I swear.

Please review!


	19. Chapter 19 Doubt

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 19**

**Doubt**

"But what about Papa," Emiko asked innocently after Reina explained that she and Kaname were going to be married just like Yuuki and Ken.

The girl understood what was going on perfectly, but she didn't understand why a man that wasn't her papa was going to be taking the place her papa should be taking by her mother's side.

It nearly broke Reina's heart to hear Emiko ask about Takuma, she didn't know what to say or how to explain to the three year old girl that her papa was dead and that he would never be able to take part in their lives. That he would never read to her, hold her or even be able to see her. He was gone and there was nothing that she could do to bring him back no matter how hard she wished there was.

"I'll tell you about your papa when you're older, just know that I loved him very much and he loved you too, ok?" Reina finally replied, smiling as best she could at her sleepy eyed daughter who was stubbornly trying to keep her brilliant blue eyes from sliding shut. The longer she was awake, the longer she expected Reina to stay beside her and talk to her. "Get some sleep, Emi, I love you."

"Love you too."

Reina stood from her daughter's bed and made her way out into the hallway, where she leaned against the closed door for a moment until she was certain that she wasn't going to cry. She then made her way to the office where Kaname was looking over a plan to reopen Cross Academy, without the Night Class. For the time being anyways, there might be another Night class in the future, but for now it would be only human students, most of whom didn't know that vampires even existed.

She still found it interesting that several of the older students who had insisted upon not having their memories erased, such as Yuuki's friend, Sayori, had been allowed to keep their memories intact and unaltered. The amount of trust that was put on the young teens was immense and Reina had no worries about them ever trying to reveal their secret or use their existence for their own benefit.

Walking around the desk that Kaname was perched behind, Reina wrapped her arms loosely around his neck and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. "Emi asked about Takuma, about why I was marrying you and not her papa...I don't know what to tell her, Kaname, it hurts to have her ask me that. I know she's just a child and it's an innocent question, but it's still hard to hear her ask that," she whispered, tightening her hold on him until she was pulled into his lap and his soft hands caressed her face and brushed through her long white hair in long, soothing strides.

Kaname didn't speak, he just held Reina close to him, smoothing her hair, caressing her skin and kissing her tenderly anywhere he could reach. It made a smile appear on her lips as she closed her eyes and leaned into him, relaxing into his touch.

"I didn't realize how tired I was until now," she uttered quietly, her eyes closing as she let out a long, content sigh. "Can I stay like this for a little while?"

"If you wish to, you can stay like this forever, though I find it hard to believe that it's very comfortable."

"You'd be surprised," she replied, nuzzling closer to Kaname, grinning dreamily as she inhaled the sophisticated and complex scent that was the man she had agreed to spend the rest of her long life with.

"You should rest, Reina, I know how tired you've been and the house is much quieter now that the wedding is over and Ken and Yuuki have left for Europe. I'll join you when I'm finished here," Kaname told her, running his fingers over the flawlessly smooth skin of her face.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

She reopened her eyes with a small disappointed frown. "Alright," she sighed, beginning to stand from his lap. "Don't be long."

"I won't. I love you, Reina," he said, cupping one of her cheeks in his hand and smiling lightly when she leaned into it and let her eyes flutter shut for a moment.

"I love you too, Kaname," she replied, squeezing the hand on her cheek and kissing his fingers before she turned to leave the room.

For the first time in weeks the manor was quiet, everyone was in bed, tired from the activities of the past several days. After Yuuki and Ken had been married, they had had to prepare for their honeymoon, that Kaname had agreed to let them go on after much coercing from Reina and assurances that Yuuki would be in no danger while with Ken. The newlywed couple had spent their first day as husband and wife beneath Reina's roof and had set off for a tour of Europe the following evening, that evening to be exact and Reina was exhausted.

The house had been in such a frenzied state for so long that it almost seemed unnaturally quiet now that there were no phones ringing, no people coming and going and no flustered Yuuki running haphazardly through the halls as she searched for things that she normally had in her arms, but had entirely forgotten. Not to mention that she had hardly slept in the two days since the wedding, partially because she was in shock over Kaname's proposal and had spent much of the early morning hours sitting by her window and staring into the forest and ignoring everything that was going on around her.

Her thoughts had been centered on Takuma and if she wasn't staring out the window, she was staring at the red velvet lined box that stored her engagement ring that she had stopped wearing several months before though she didn't know why. It had just seemed right at the time. She still always wore the black diamond rose he had given, she was rarely seen without it and she would always run her fingers over it whenever she was worried or in deep thought, like now.

She was sitting on her velvet lined bench, her forehead resting against the cool glass of her window and her sapphire eyes staring over the approaching night.

'Is this really alright or am I betraying you by loving another man? I will always love you, Takuma, but for our kind always is a very long time and I don't want to spend it alone. Are you angry with me, I wonder, for not waiting to join you in the afterlife and moving on? And what about Kaname? You two were close friends and I would never want to be responsible for making you hate him.' Closing her eyes, Reina stopped her depressing thoughts from going any further by taking a deep, soothing breath and letting her eyes flutter back open.

Smiling softly, she stood from her seat and took one last glance at the beautiful, glowing orb that now hung low in the sky. "I love you, Takuma Ichijo, but I know we can never be together now, too much separates us. You will always be in my heart and I will treasure the girt that you gave to me, but," she looked to the ground, her small hands curling into fists at her sides that slowly relaxed when she took another deep breath. "But I have grieved long enough and have decided to move on. Goodbye, Takuma," she whispered, pulling the thick curtains closed over the window and making her way to her bathroom with her head held high and smile on her lips despite the single tear that left a watery trail on her pale cheek.

She didn't know that down the hall, Kaname's thoughts were turned to the same blond haired, green eyed vampire that had always had a smile on his face, just as hers had been. The crimson eyed man had leaned into the comfort of the leather chair he was in and put a slender hand to his brow to keep his hair from falling into his eyes as he stared at nothing in particular.

"I wonder if you will ever be able to forgive me, Ichijo," he mused aloud, his quiet voice barely above a whisper.

* * *

Several hours had past before Kaname left the lonely solitude of the office and made his way to Reina's room. The woman was asleep on her side, her white hair fanned out behind her, her lips parted and her hands tucked under her head. She was so beautiful and looked so much like an angel in the dim light that was filtering through a small crack in her curtains that Kaname wanted to freeze time and keep her forever the way she was. Peaceful, content, happy and most of all, his.

Silently approaching the bed she was curled up on, Kaname carefully sat beside her and tenderly stroked her hair. The soft touches were enough to rouse Reina from her slumber and she blinked tiredly up at him, a sleepy smile on her lips as her eyes locked onto Kaname's.

"It's about time," she murmured, reaching up to brush some of his hair from his face and pull him down so that she could capture them in a brief, but passion filled kiss. "I've missed you, Kaname."

Letting his forehead rest against Reina's, Kaname ran his fingers over Reina's cheek. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but I'm here now."

"You look so tired," she observed quietly, caressing his cheek and running her thumb across the bruised looking skin beneath his eye. "Is everything alright?"

Choosing to not immediately answer her, but to instead gaze into her eyes that were slowly growing worried and concerned due to his silence. Ichijo was still very much on his mind and he debated about whether or not to tell the woman who was so lovingly looking up at him that there was a chance that Takuma Ichijo was still alive. Revealing that information to her was likely to not only end their engagement, that he in no way wanted jeopardize since he truly did love Reina and wanted nothing more than to love her for the entirety of their lengthy lives, it was also likely to end all contact between them. He had lied to her enough, used her enough and had taken advantage of the trust that she put in him far too much as well, if he were to tell her that he was uncertain that Ichijo was actually dead he had no doubt that Reina would never again want anything to do with him.

Though he was distressed by what could happen should he tell her, he was also concerned about the effect the news would have on her. She had spent so long desperately clinging to hope that he was alive even though everything that they had found pointed to the opposite, he was afraid that she might not be able to handle hearing that there was a slim possibility that her hopes might have actually been realized. There was so much uncertainty and no proof that he wasn't sure what to do. If Ichijo was at some point proven to have been killed by his grandfather after he revealed to Reina that there was a chance he had lived, he wondered what effect that would have on her, he knew it wouldn't be pleasant and that the fragile woman wouldn't be able to handle her emotions on her own, but by then she would have pushed himself and probably the others away.

"Kaname?"

Deciding to keep the possibility of Ichijo's survival to himself for many reasons, reasons he tried to tell himself were not mostly selfish, Kaname replied to his fiance's question while smoothing the lines of concern from her brow. "I'm sorry, Reina, it's nothing for you to worry about," he assured her. "I've just been over worked and it seems to be all I can think about."

"Well stop it, you're here with me now, though it took you long enough to get here," she said with a feigned pout.

"Sorry for the wait, but I'm now yours to do with as you wish."

"Oh, really," Reina questioned, unable to hide the playful smile that was dancing on her lips as she again captured Kaname's lips with her own, but this time she didn't release them as she scooted up so that she could use both hands to undo the buttons of his shirt.

* * *

"Well, it is about time," Reina observed, taking a small sip from the gold rimmed tea cup she had held in her petite hands. "It's been almost four years since the Association has had a president, officially, anyways."

"It has," Kaname agreed from beside his fiance. "But with Cross finally reopening the Academy he will have his hands full and won't have time to act as a stand in any longer."

"True," Cross sighed. "Besides, Zero is ready and it's about time he took charge. I have faith in him."

Reina, Kaname, Cross, Yagari and Zero were all gathered in the parlor, the Hunters had stayed as guests after the wedding in order to speak with Kaname and make sure that arrangements for opening the Academy were satisfactory as well as to discuss Zero's official promotion to president of the Hunter's Association. They were sipping on tea in the early hours of the morning as the sun was beginning to rise, relaxed and calm now that the house was completely silent.

"I'm sure Zero will do well, he's changed very much in the past few years," Reina spoke up, smiling in Zero's direction only to chuckle slightly when the silver haired hunter raised a brow at her and looked away disinterestedly. "Or maybe not," she added.

"He's still a snot nosed brat, if you ask me," Yagari grumbled.

"Well, it's a good thing no one asked you," Zero replied grumpily.

Cross sighed and shook his head. "What about the two of you, your engagement was rather unexpected. Do you have plans to marry soon?"

"We haven't had much chance to talk about it yet," Reina answered.

"It may be a good idea to consider having several hunters on patrol nearby, there are still those who oppose you and those who are allied with you," Cross said.

"That's true and having all of you gathered together may be enough to draw them out," Yagari agreed.

Further conversation was cut off when the parlor door creaked open and Emiko walked in, a nervous Hanabusa behind her. The little blond girl rubbed at her eyes tiredly and looked around the room before sniffling when she saw her mother.

"Ah, s-sorry, but she-"

"It's alright, Hana, come here Emi," Reina cut in, leaning forward to set her tea cup down and lift her arms towards her daughter.

Emiko ran into her mother's welcoming arms and Reina lifted her on to her lap, cradling her head against her shoulder and brushing some of her wispy blond locks from her face and kissing the top of her head.

"What's wrong, Emi, you should be sleeping," Reina questioned, rocking the child in arms.

"Uncle Hana said that Papa isn't coming back," the little girl sobbed into her mother's shoulder.

Wide eyed, Reina looked up at Hanabusa. The young noble fidgeted uncomfortably as she looked up at him in confusion.

"She overheard part of a conversation between Akatsuki and I, we didn't know she was there until it was already too late and...She heard us discussing your engagement and Ichijo's..."

"It's alright, Hana," Reina replied, tightly holding Emiko to her chest and continuing to rock her in soothing and slow motions. "Excuse me," she said quietly, standing from the couch with the sobbing girl in her arms and leaving the room, Hanabusa trailing after her.

It took a lot of shushing and gentle rocking for Reina to get Emiko to calm down and explain that her Uncle Hana was right, her Papa would never come back to them. She explained that it wasn't his choice and that she had no doubt that if Takuma was able he would spend every waking moment with them and would never leave. That he loved them and would always watch over them since he couldn't physically be there for him.

She wasn't sure if Emiko fully understood, but she knew that girl grasped most of what she was saying. When the sniffling and tears finally stopped, Reina held Emiko for another few minutes until she was sleeping in her arms before laying carefully back into her bed and tucking the sheets around her. Hanabusa was still in the room, standing off to the side as if ashamed of himself and when Reina looked up at him, he looked away guilty.

Sighing, Reina left Emiko's side and took Hanabusa's arm, leading him out into the hall and shutting Emiko's door behind her. "Don't look so upset, Hana, it's not your fault. She would have found out sooner or later that Takuma is never going to come back, I was just hoping it would be later. I'm not upset with you and neither is Emiko, she's just young and doesn't really understand any of this. Come on," she said, looping her arm through his. "You can join us for some tea."

* * *

"Am I doing the right thing, Zero, should I marry Kaname," Reina asked. She was sitting alone with the lavender eyed man in the parlor now, the others had gone to the office to talk in private.

"Why are you asking me," he replied. "It's your decision, not mine."

"I know that, but I keep thinking I'm betraying him in someway."

Zero sighed, clearly unwilling to have the current conversation, but also knowing that Reina was quite upset over the earlier scene with Emiko. "You aren't betraying Ichijo, he would want you to be happy and you love Kaname, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Very much," Reina answered wistfully.

"Then let him make you happy. Can we talk about something else now?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to burden you with my troubles. What would you like to talk about, Zero?"

"Nothing."

Reina quirked a brow. "You're the one who wanted to change the subject, but you have nothing to talk about?"

There was a soft knock on the parlor door before it was pushed open to reveal Emiko once again, the little girl looked much more awake now and was wearing a purple dress with white frills along the bottom.

"Is anything wrong, Emi," Reina asked.

Shaking her head, Emiko frowned at Zero who she had only met briefly in the two days he had been staying at the manor. She seemed to study him for a moment before walking up to him and standing right in front of him. "You're Zero, right? Want to play with me, Uncle Hana's sleeping."

"No, thanks," Zero declined uneasily.

"Please?"

Zero shifted in his seat as Emiko gave him her famous puppy eyes and pouted. Reina was having a hard time not laughing because she could tell that Zero had already lost the fight.

"Alright, fine," Zero conceded.

Emiko giggled happily, turning and flouncing off to presumably get some toys for the two to play with.

"Stop laughing," Zero grumbled.

"Why? It's amusing, the fearsome Zero Kiryu falling prey to a pouting three year old," Reina laughed.

"She's going to be just like you, annoying and manipulative."

"Then the two of you should get along well."

* * *

Yeah, yeah it sucked, I know, but I wanted to update and have been working on this for weeks now. I just needed to get through this chapter so I could get on with it. It should get interesting again next chapter, sorry about the delay and the ick update in the mean time.

Please review..Nicely...


	20. Chapter 20 Deadly Games

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 20**

**Deadly Games**

"Do we have to go," Reina asked, her tone whiny and childish.

Kaname chuckled and brushed his fingers over the smooth skin of Reina's cheek. He nearly lost himself in the velvety feel of her skin, but after a deep breath he managed to regain himself. "I'm afraid so my love. The meeting and ball are necessary. It will allow us to see whether or not the vampire population will actually follow me. I'm officially announcing that I am the governing head of our race and that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to create a peaceful coexistence. The talks almost two years ago began the process of creating a peaceful world, but now we need to see who will actually support it. This will also announce Zero's new position as the President of the Association. Since I'm the pureblood leader and you are my future wife and queen, more or less, we are both expected to attend the meeting and ball since it will be us that must work together for everlasting peace."

Reina sighed dramatically. "So troublesome, you are."

"I'm very sorry to cause so much trouble, what will it wake to get you to forgive me?"

"A kiss," Reina replied with a soft smile, tilting her head up to the brown haired man from where she sat on the small sofa in his room.

"That's it? Just a kiss?" His hand was caressing her cheek until his long fingers buried themselves in her hair and pulled her head towards him gently.

"It's never just a kiss with us, Kaname," she breathed before their lips touched, softly at first and then more urgently. Wrapping her arms around Kaname, Reina tightly grasped him, bringing him as close to her as she could and eventually forcing him to lay over her.

"We're going to be late," Kaname pointed out, though he didn't seem to care. He trailed kisses along Reina's neck, pushing the deep blue robe she was wearing out of the way.

"Somehow I doubt the Hunters will mind," Reina breathed.

* * *

"You're late," Zero growled at the approaching couple that had just exited a sleek black limo.

Reina giggled and skipped up to the glaring man. "Aw, were you worried, Zero?"

He grunted in annoyance, pushing himself away from the stone pillar he had been leaning against. "Hurry up everyone else has already arrived," he said blandly before turning to lead them into an ancient stone building where the party that would celebrate Zero's official promotion to the President of the Hunter's Association was taking place.

* * *

Upon entering the building, Reina's entire demeanor changed. Her shoulders seemed to square more than they already were and her chin tilted higher into the air. Her face was blank and nearly devoid of emotion except for a slight trace of arrogance in her sapphire eyes. The tiered black strapless gown she wore, brushed quietly against the floor and her heels clicked primly in time with her steps.

The meeting room that the talks with the Hunters would be taking place in was on the top floor of the building. With no elevators in the old mansion, Reina and Kaname were forced to follow behind Zero as he led them through back passageways and up several narrow flights of steps. Aido, who was with them as well as Kain, could be heard grumbling his displeasure at having to follow the white haired Zero.

"Hm," Reina hummed, blinking and glancing to the east.

"I forgot to mention, Yuuki and Ken have come back to join us for tonight's ball. I thought appropriate given the reason why a good number of the vampire community has gathered here," Kaname told her.

"Oh," Reina replied quietly, not failing to notice the way Zero had stiffened at the mention of Yuuki. He had never really come to terms with Yuuki's true identity.

Having finally reached the top floor, the group was led to a large meeting room where Cross sat at the head of a long table, Yagari was there as well as several other Hunters that Reina wasn't familiar with. Taking her seat beside Kaname, Reina folded her hands in her lap and waited, she was here because Kaname was the leader of the vampire race. She wasn't there to do anything but support him as his future wife.

"Hello again Kaname," Cross began. "Reina," he tilted his towards her and she smiled slightly, nodding her head. "Shall we begin?"

Listening, but not entirely paying attention, Reina let her mind wander while Kaname conversed with Cross, Yagari and occasionally Zero. She hadn't even realized that she was frowning or that she had ventured into a world all her own until Kaname placed a hand on hers and called her name. Startled, she jolted in her seat and blinked dazedly at Kaname.

"Kaname?" She asked in confusion.

"Is something wrong," he inquired, keeping her hand firmly in his grasp and watching her closely.

Opening her mouth to reply, she found she had no words and shook her head, closing her mouth before looking around to see that all eyes were on her. Some looked worried, those were the ones she recognized and others looked almost suspicious. "I..." She managed to say, her brows drew together and she shook her head again. "Something is wrong."

"Reina," Cross called. "What do you mean that something is wrong?"

She shook her head and looked towards the door. "I don't know," she answered truthfully, her voice conveying just how confused she really was. "I sense something and it's vaguely familiar, but...It's all wrong..."

There was a knock on the door that took everyone's attention from Reina. Ken pushed the door open, followed by Yuuki. Ken's eyes took in Reina's state and the paleness of her skin and then shared a glance with Kaname that seemed to be full of meaning.

"You don't look well, Reina, would you like to rest for a few moments," Kaname asked her worriedly.

It took her a moment to answer, but she finally nodded. "Yes, I think I would."

"Perhaps, Yuuki should join you, I have some things I need to speak to Kaname about in private," Cross spoke up, his eyes hidden by his glasses.

If Reina had only been able to see the look that lie in the eyes of the Hunter, she might have noticed that he suspected Kaname of keeping something from them, but she didn't notice. Nor did she notice the exchange of glances between Kaname and Ken. It was as if they had just realized something, Yuuki had noticed, but figured it was none of her business and instead stepped forward to help Reina from her chair.

Once the two purebloods had left the room with an escort to a nearby bedroom and several of the other Hunters had left to leave only Cross, Yagari and Zero with Kaname, Ken, Aido and Kain, Cross sighed and removed his glasses.

"What is going on Kaname," the blond asked, rubbing at the bridge of his nose and then replacing his glasses.

Kaname would have refused to answer, but he didn't see the point and figured it was best to get everything out in the open. At least between those in the room.

"As I'm sure you recall, after the attack on the school by the former Council of Ancients and the Hunter's Association it was believed that Takuma Ichijo was among those dead. Though he was believed to have died by his grandfather's hands at their family mansion and not at the school."

"What do you mean 'believed'," Zero asked harshly, stepping forward from where he had been leaning against the wall behind Cross. "You said he was dead. Reina thinks he's dead."

The crimson eyed pureblood sighed and folded his hands in front of him. "There was speculation, between Ken and I that there was a chance that that wasn't the case."

"And," Zero pressed.

Kaname glanced at Ken who looked rather grim. "And as of tonight there's no doubt that Takuma Ichijo is alive."

Aido and Kain both couldn't hide their surprise. Aido gasped, his blue eyes widening and Kain just blinked in disbelief.

"There's more to it than that, isn't there," Cross inquired seriously.

"Yes," Kaname answered. "The body of Takuma Ichijo may not be dead, but his consciousness is. His body is being used by someone else."

"Who," Yagari questioned.

"My brother," Ken spoke up quietly. "Michael. The one who has tried time and time again to kill Reina."

"And you're just now realizing this," Zero hissed, slamming his hands down on the thick wooden table besides Yagari.

A partial glare was sent in Zero's direction, Kaname was in no way happy about being questioned by the Hunter. "Did you notice, Zero? After all you have enough pure blood running through you that you should be able to sense what we do."

Clenching his fists together, Zero growled at Kaname.

"That's enough," Cross scolded harshly. "If what you say is true, Kaname, then Reina is in grave danger here."

"Reina will be fine, I don't think Michael is here to do more than shake things up and announce that he's back," Ken said.

"Why would he show up now? Why wait almost five years?" Yagari asked.

"Who knows," Ken answered. "I don't even know how it was possible that I never noticed his presence."

"So Reina was right," Cross sighed, leaning into his own chair. "Something is wrong."

"So..what are we going to do," Zero asked.

"Nothing," Kaname replied blandly. "Reina doesn't need to know that Michael has taken over Ichijo's body. The news would possibly break her and I can't do that."

"So you'll let her continue to think that the man she loved is dead," Zero snapped.

His eyes darkening, Kaname locked eyes with Zero. "What do you propose we do, Kiryu? Telling Reina that Ichijo is alive would make her want to search him out, but she wouldn't find Ichijo. She would find Michael in his body. The man who has tried to kill her several times. Do you think she'd be able to fight back against him? Do you think she would be able to defend herself when fighting him? I don't like lying to Reina, but it's in her best interest that she believe Ichijo is dead, because essentially, he is. At one point in time, there may have been a chance that he could have been brought back into control of his body, but judging by what I'm sensing I don't find that to be true. It's unfortunate, but at least let Reina believed he died while fighting a noble battle, not at the hands of the Takamora's eldest son."

"Kaname is right," Aido spoke up nervously. "Reina wouldn't be able to handle knowing what happened to Ichijo... and I don't think that she would just leave the situation alone."

"She'd go after him," Zero sighed.

"Yes, Reina would want revenge against Michael for the life he's stolen, but the many outcomes of that are grim. The worst one ends with her dying, or being forced to kill Ichijo's body. The toll that would take on her is tremendous," Kaname said.

"While I understand that, we need to know why Michael has taken over his body," Cross stated. "We need to know what is being planned and stop it if it puts the peace we're working towards in danger."

"I agree," Kaname replied.

"Poor Reina," Cross murmured. "That child has had enough hardships."

"She's strong, but we can't let her know about this. I won't hesitate to alter the memories of anyone who thinks otherwise." Kaname glanced at Zero and cast an inquisitive glance to Aido and Kain. Aido frowned, but lowered his eyes, he would keep his mouth shut. He didn't like lying to Reina, but he understood that it was for the best.

* * *

"How many other purebloods were expected to attend," Reina asked Kaname curiously. She was being led down the hall now that she had recovered herself and was feeling much better than she had been.

"Outside of Yuuki and Ken, two. Ouri and his fiance, Sara Shirabuki."

A small hiss escaped Reina's lips. "What is that woman doing here, Kaname?"

"She's a pureblood, Reina, and it's been unclear as to what side she is on," Kaname answered. "Ouri, however, has been supportive of our cause. On the surface at least."

Snorting in disdain, Reina tossed her loose hair over her shoulder. "Well," she said blandly, looking to the stairway that would take them to the lower level where the chattering and laughing of many noble level vampires waited. "Let the games begin."

"Interesting choice of words," Kaname chuckled.

"You have told Yuuki, haven't you? About just what we truly are to the aristocrats," Reina asked.

"Yes. I've explained everything to her," Kaname answered, casting a glance over his shoulder.

Reina stopped when he did and turned in the direction of Sara Shirabuki, who had the light scent of fresh blood clinging to her. Her eyes darkening, Reina was about to step forward to rebuke the pureblood, who was younger than she and also had a great amount of nerve to show up to a party wreaking of blood, but Kaname stopped her.

"Kiryu, I don't suppose you'd mind escorting Reina into the ball would you? I need to speak with Sara."

His lavender hued eyes narrowed, but he nodded and stepped up to Reina. "Come on."

"But-"

"I'll join you in just a moment, Reina," Kaname replied, a tiny bit dismissively and disinterestedly.

Angered over the obvious dismissal, Reina cast a cold glance at Kaname's back and then to Sara before taking Zero's offered arm. "Thank you, Zero." It took several seconds longer than she would have liked to school her features into those of someone who was better than everyone in the room below, but by the time she and Zero stepped onto the marble of th ball, she looked like a regal, but cold queen.

The murmurs of the vampires gathered grew when they saw that Zero was leading her into the ball instead of Kaname, her fiance and the host of the party. She ignored them all and glided through the room with Zero.

* * *

"It's rather vulgar of you, Sara, to show up to a party still covered in the scent of your last meal," Kaname pointed out monotonously to the beautiful young pureblood in front of him.

"You're right. I apologize, I don't know what I was thinking," Sara replied, her soft voice lilting with amusement despite the seriousness of the situation.

"And where is Ouri, your fiance this evening?"

"Hm? Oh, he's around here somewhere," she answered with a mischievous smile.

Kaname watched her with narrowed eyes for a moment. "I do hope that you haven't done anything to him. It would be a shame to lose such a great ally."

Sara smiled a smile that to some would have appeared innocent and gentle, but to others was dark and full of malice. "I simply did to him what you had done to Shizuka Hio."

"Is that so?" Kaname darkly stated. "Just what type of game are you playing, Sara?"

"A fun one."

"And what about Takuma Ichijo? What have you done with him?"

Sara giggled lightly. "Nothing that he didn't enjoy." Without bothering to stay for further conversation, she skipped past Kaname. "At least his body enjoyed it anyway," she called over her shoulder with a demure chuckle.

When Sara's golden head disappeared down the steps, Kaname's gaze darkened and his eyes flashed red. One moment he was standing at the top of the stairs and the next he was in the room that Sara had been allowed to use to ready herself in. His eyes were glowing a deep red from the anger that was coursing through him as he slammed a familiar blond roughly into a wall, knocking a picture off the wallpapered surface and sending it the floor with a loud crash when the glass cover erupted.

Ignoring the glass littering the floor, Kaname stepped closer to the blond, his rage was evident in the way his teeth were clenched and the way his grip tightened to the point that he nearly snapped the neck of the person in his grasp. Chuckles filled the room, familiar yet dark and mixed with something that the original owner of the body he had pinned to the wall hadn't possessed. A rage filled loathing.

"What are you playing at Takamora," Kaname demanded in a low hiss.

"So you saw right through it, hm?"

"It wasn't difficult. You made it fairly easy to tell who was truly here and it wasn't Ichijo."

"Yes. The boy has finally stopped fighting me. He was such a nuisance for awhile," Michael answered through lips that had once been controlled by Takuma Ichijo.

Growling, Kaname pushed the body of Takuma Ichijo further into the wall. It groaned and creaked under the pressure. "Why his body?"

"Because it was available," Michael answered amusedly. "Sara also thought it would prove to be quite fun. She was right. I mean just look at you. You're so angry and yet you can't do anything to the person that spent ten years by your side. The person you betrayed and whose woman you stole. I wonder what she'll think when she sees his face again..."

Kaname released his hold on Michael, letting the man stand on his own two feet again. "I don't know what you're planning, but stay away from Reina. If you so much as look at her...I'll kill you."

* * *

"Would you relax," Zero whispered almost harshly. "You're going to rip my arm off."

Realizing he was right and that she was gripping much too tightly to his arm in her anger, she released him. "Sorry," she muttered.

"Ah, so this is Kaname-sama's sister."

"She looks just like Juuri-sama."

"No, she has Haruka-sama's soft gaze."

"You're Yuuki-sama, right? We're so happy that you've joined us."

"Can you believe what a beautiful girl that Juuri and Haruka-sama left us with?"

"Now, now," Reina spoke up, her voice sing song, but the tone cold, commanding. "Yuuki is still young and unused to so much attention. Don't tire the poor thing out too early in the evening."

There were mutters asking for her forgiveness and several people bowed to her, while others were bitter about her interruption and the obvious command that they were given to leave Yuuki be.

"You should let her stand up for herself," Zero mumbled, folding his arms stiffly over his chest and gazing into the crowds.

Reina shrugged a shoulder disinterestedly. "She's too kind and not used to these types of gatherings. It takes practice. Years of it. Dealing with some of the noble class is tiresome and frustrating, not all know when to stop and some purposely don't stop. They like to see how far they can push us. We're respected and feared, yes, but we're nothing more to them than entertainment and in some case, the most desirable prey."

"I thought that the purebloods were revered and treasured," Zero replied.

Chuckling dryly, Reina smirked over the rim of the wine glass she had taken from the tray of a passing waiter. "Oh, we're treasured, Zero. We're treasured because of the blood flowing through our veins. And what is blood to a vampire, but food."

"But they're all below you."

"Yes, if a single one of them stepped out of line," she paused here, her eyes locking onto a black haired, blue eyed noblewoman that was getting too close to Ken. The woman froze suddenly, her eyes widening in shock. Reina released her hold on her a moment later and the woman walked off, leaving Ken alone. "It's not hard to make them realize their place."

"Then what's the problem," Zero asked.

"The problem, Kiryu," Kaname said, appearing beside Reina. "Is that not all of them learn from their mistakes or the mistakes of others."

"Is there a problem, Kaname," Reina asked.

"No, everything is fine. I'm sorry I made you wait." He smiled lightly at her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm leaving," Zero mumbled and within seconds, he was on the other side of the room, scowling at everyone and everything.

"You seem distracted, are you sure everything is alright," Reina asked again.

"Everything is fine, Reina. I promise. Lets just focus on getting through tonight.

* * *

Shooting up in the bed, Reina clutched a soft sheet over her bare chest with one hand and put the other over her damp forehead. Letting out a deep breath, she tried to get her breathing under control since she was practically gasping for breath.

"Reina?"

The soft, caring hand on her back startled her. She spun around to lock eyes with a worried Kaname and close her eyes. "Sorry," she murmured, letting her head fall on to her knees as she brought them to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.

"Don't apologize when you have nothing to be sorry for. Now what's wrong?"

Focusing on the calm and soothing strokes that Kaname's hand was making through her hair, Reina exhaled deeply again. "A dream."

"You mean a nightmare," Kaname stated, pushing himself up in the bed so that he could pull Reina into his bare chest.

"Yeah," she sighed tiredly. "A nightmare."

"What was it this time?" His hand didn't stop stroking her hair while he kissed the top of her head tenderly.

She shivered in his arms. "Basically the same. Takuma trying to kill Emi in front of my eyes before coming after me."

"Are you alright?"

She nodded against his chest. "I'll be fine.. I'm just so tired of these dreams, Kaname. What are they supposed to mean? Or do they even mean anything?"

"I don't know, but I won't let anything happen to you or Emiko. I promise you."

* * *

Sorry about the wait and the somewhat mediocre chapter, but I've been busy and sick and unable to think of good ideas. I don't think that this story will last much longer. I need to end it already, it's starting to drag on a little, at least it feels that way to me. I don't think that there are going to be more than five chapters left. I was just stuck on how to write some of it, but I think I've worked it out.

Anywho, I have another VK story in the works. A ZeroxOc this time. It's outlined in detail and I even have a chapter outline up to the ninth chapter so expect that out soon. I want to finish this at the very least before posting that though. The ItachixOc story I have been saying I was going to write is in the works too. The first and second chapters are written, but I'm not going to post them just yet, I'm not sure I like them..

Well, please review!


	21. Chapter 21 A New Life

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 21**

**A New Life**

"She looks beautiful, doesn't she?"

Zero glanced to his right to glare at the blond beside him, but never responded to the question. He was once again at the Tsukina manor watching over the vampires gathered to celebrate Reina and Kaname's wedding. The ball room was decorated elaborately in silver, sapphire and black accents and the people in it were richly dressed in clothing that would likely never be worn again after that night. It had been almost two years since he had last been in the manor to watch over Yuuki's wedding and he wasn't pleased about having to watch over the vampires gathered while the woman he wanted married the one man he loathed more than anything, but was going to have to be civil with for the duration of his time as the Association's president.

"Stop moping idiot apprentice, it's not a good look for you."

Shifting away from the hand that was ruffling his hair, Zero tossed an annoyed look at Yagari. "I'm not your damn apprentice anymore."

Yagari ignored him entirely and turned to Cross. "So anything interesting happen?"

Cross shook his head, his blond hair swishing around his shoulders. "No, everything seems to be running smoothly."

"Lets hope it stays that way," Yagari sighed, leaning lazily into a pillar to keep watch over the party.

"Hm?" Zero glanced down upon feeling a slight tug on his hand. He was greeted by a grinning five year old Emiko.

"Hi," the little girl chirped.

Zero blinked at the bright eyed girl. "You're not supposed to be down here."

Emiko pouted. "But I was bored and I wanted to see mommy. She looks very pretty, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but if she sees you down here, won't you be in trouble?" Cross asked, leaning down to smile at the little girl.

Another pout, this one stubborn. "I don't care. Wanna play with Zero, he's funny when he gets angry." The small girl grinned up Zero who growled at her and looked away. "See?"

"Emi!"

The small blond girl jumped and guilty looked up at Reina who had easily sensed the young child in the crowd. A white brow raised in disapproval, causing Emiko to chuckle guiltily.

"To your room, now," Reina ordered, pointing sternly to the stairs.

Waving at Zero, Cross and Yagari the little girl bounded off.

"That girl never listens," Reina sighed with a shake of her head.

"She's grown a lot in the past few years," Cross spoke up.

"Yes I know," Reina replied, smiling. "She looks more and more like Takuma everyday."

* * *

"Have you heard anything?" Cross asked Kaname.

The two were sitting together in the parlor with Zero and Yagari. With the party over and the guests all gone the large house was eerily silent and though they weren't worried about being spied on they couldn't help but to speak in hushed tones.

Shaking his head lightly, Kaname sighed and rested his cheek on the backs of his curled fingers. "Not a single thing. I have no idea what Sara or Michael may be planning and they are staying well hidden. I haven't been able to locate them since the night of the ball."

"It's the same for us," Zero spoke up. "Not a single Hunter or even any of our informants know anything. It's like they've disappeared."

"Whatever they're plotting it must be quite big otherwise I don't see why they would wait so long to make a move," Kaname observed.

"It seems that all we can do is continue to wait and keep our eyes open for any sign of what they may be up to," Cross sighed, removing his glasses to rub at the bridge of his nose.

"Lets just hope we find a sign before they make their move." Standing from the couch, Kaname excused himself and left in search of Reina who was upstairs with Emiko. They were to leave on a trip around Europe that evening and they would be gone for at least a month. Yuuki and Ken were going to be at the house to look after Emiko and Rima and Shiki had said they would pop in as well since Emiko was rather attached to Shiki. Aido and Kain would be joining Reina and Kaname on their trip that wasn't as much a honeymoon as it was business. They were going to be visiting several highly ranked noble families and seeing how the peace was fairing between the vampires and humans throughout the world.

So far things seemed to be pretty smooth, the number of vampire related attacks on humans was dwindling, but still far from nonexistent. It was a step in the right direction at least. It had only been a few years and it would be several more before a really noticeable amount of progress was seen in the campaign for vampires and humans to coexist together.

* * *

Having never been to Europe, let alone out of Japan, Reina was ecstatic about the chance to see some of the world that she had read so much about. Seeing the sights of the world proved to be too much for her however. Not even two weeks into their trip, Reina began to grow pale and was tired all the time regardless of how many blood tablets she took or how many times Kaname offered her his blood.

With her health deteriorating, Kaname called off the rest of the trip and returned everyone to the manor. At first being back in her own home seemed to be good for Reina and her spirits quickly improved. Her pale complexion did not and neither did the bags under her eyes, instead they only seemed to get worse.

After a week of this, Kaname was beginning to grow worried for Reina. Purebloods weren't supposed to get sick, not like this and he had no idea what could possibly make her as sick as she was. He spent much of his time trying to care for her though she usually waved him away, telling him he was being too over protective and that she was fine and there was nothing to worry about. As much as he wanted to believe her, he didn't and it was on the eighth day after their return from Europe that his worries proved to be correct.

He had been in the study reading over the newest concerns of the new Council when there was a crashing sound from down the hall and a shout, followed by Emiko's voice calling for Reina. It took him less than a second to follow the scent of Reina's freshly spilled blood to Emiko's room where the little girl was crouched by her mother with tears in her eyes.

Reina was on the ground, one hand clutching at her stomach and another shakily holding her up. There was a broken tea cup on the ground, a piece of which appeared to have cut her finger and explained the scent of blood. It did not explain why she appeared to be in so much pain.

Seeing Kaname walking into the room, Emiko looked up, her eyes frightened and concerned. "What's wrong with her, Kaname? What happened to Mom?"

Smiling reassuringly at the green eyed girl, Kaname laid a hand on her head. "I'm not sure what's wrong, but she'll be ok. Why don't you go find Setsuka and Midori, have them meet us in our room."

Scrambling to her feet, Emiko took off out the door in search of the two women while Kaname knelt beside Reina.

"Reina," Kaname called softly, brushing some of her white hair from her face that felt far too hot.

Trembling, she looked up at Kaname. "It hurts. It hurts so much.." She trailed off as tears filled her eyes and she clenched them shut, biting her lip and clutching tightly to her stomach.

Scooping her up gently into his arms, Kaname carefully carried Reina from Emiko's room and into their own which was now the room that had once belonged to her parents. He set her upon the black bedding and she immediately curled into a ball, her arms folded over her stomach. He sat beside her, soothingly combing his fingers through her hair and stroking her flushed cheeks while tears slipped from beneath her closed eyelids.

When Midori entered the room, her aging face pulled into a worried frown, Kaname looked up, silently telling her to do what was necessary to find out what was wrong with Reina. The woman didn't need a lot of prodding, she quietly closed the door behind her after telling Setsuka who stood in the hall to attend to Emiko.

"Reina-sama?" Midori spoke softly, calmly. "I need you to open your eyes for me."

Groaning, Reina fluttered her sapphire eyes open. "What's wrong with me, Midori? Why does it hurt so much?"

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out, ok?" The woman smiled warmly and with a glance at Kaname, silently told him he needed to leave the room, or at least move out of her way since he was sitting on the bed with Reina and didn't appear to want to move.

Not wanting to hinder her, Kaname moved away from the bed, but refused to leave the room while Midori examined Reina and asked her a series of questions. For several minutes the woman who had raised Reina examined the white haired girl before sighing and pulling a blanket over her and telling her to get some rest.

Waiting until Midori had turned from Reina's side and was approaching him, Kaname quietly inquired, "Is she alright?"

Midori sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Reina. "She's pregnant."

Stunned, Kaname could only turn his attention to Reina and blink. "Does she know?"

Shaking her head Midori frowned. "I didn't want to tell her. It's still very early and with the toll its taking on her body already..."

Hearing the note of uncertainty in the woman's voice, Kaname knew that she was trying to find a way to tell him that there was a chance that the child or possibly even Reina wouldn't survive the pregnancy. "Will she be alright?"

"I don't know, Kaname-sama. I just don't know."

"Thank you Midori."

"I'll bring up some tea to help calm the pain, but she needs to stay in bed. She shouldn't be exerting herself at all until after the child is born, it will drain too much of her energy and she will need as much as possible."

After she had left, Kaname stepped up to the bedside and stared at Reina for several moments before putting one of his hands over hers that were folded over her stomach.

"Kaname? What's wrong," Reina asked weakly, blinking her eyes open tiredly.

"You're pregnant, Reina," he answered truthfully and he was pleased to see the spark of happiness in her eyes, but it faded quickly when she noticed that he didn't seem to be sharing in her happiness.

"That's why I'm sick, isn't it?"

He nodded. "Yes, Midori says that you will have to stay in bed and conserve your strength otherwise..."

"I see. This pregnancy won't be as easy as it was with Emi, will it," she asked looking down at her stomach and holding tightly to Kaname's hand.

The pregnancy was far from easy on Reina, she spent every day confined to bed and with every passing month, her stomach grew and so did the amount of pain she was in. Her face was constantly lined with the pain she felt and the sleep she was unable to get because of it. There was little that anyone could do to comfort her or help her to feel better and it made everyone feel useless whenever they heard Reina's cries of pain in the night when she would sometimes be able to get some rest.

When the eighth month of her pregnancy approached, Reina could hardly move without feeling like she was about to burst into pieces. She felt that if she used even the tiniest amount of energy it would be too much and she would fall asleep and never be able to wake up. She grew feverish and drifted into a state of semi consciousness where she could only see our hear what her brain made up for her in order to take her mind off of the pain.

The worry that everyone felt for her continued to grow as the time for her to give birth approached. It was like with everyday that past she became dimmer. Her aura dulled and she woke less and less often from the sleeps that she had began to fall into. Her skin paled and her breathing grew slow and forced. She was never left alone, someone always sat with her. Whether it was Kaname, Aido, Midori or Yuuki, someone was always by her side to look after her and talk to her about the current going ons of the world.

It was currently Midori and Emiko with her, Emiko was brushing out her mother's long white hair carefully while Midori changed her nightgown. A small groan forced Emiko to stop her gentle brushing and look into her mother's face that was now distorted into a grimace of pain.

"Momma?" Emiko asked worriedly.

Reina's eyes fluttered open and met the bright, but concerned green eyes of her daughter. She tried to smile reassuringly, but the smile turned into another grimace of pain.

"Midori! Midori, something's wrong with momma!" Emiko shouted from the bed.

Midori ran out of the closet where she had gone to get a new nightgown and straight to Reina's side. Just as the woman reached her, Reina let out a pain filled cry and hunched up in an attempt to find a position that didn't hurt to be in.

"Calm down, Reina-sama, just breathe," Midori murmured soothingly. "Emi-sama, I need you to leave the room. Have Setsuka and the other maids come here immediately."

"What's wrong? Why is-"

"She's going into labor," Midori said, cutting off Kaname and ignoring him as she fussed around Reina and tried to get her to sit up, but the woman just wasn't able to sit up on her own.

"Here." Kaname stepped up to the bed and carefully helped Reina to sit up, positioning himself behind her on the bed and keeping a tight hold of her.

"K-Kaname," she rasped, reaching up to grasp onto his arm, her nails digging into his flesh. "It hurts.."

He quietly shushed her and used his free hand to stroke her now damp white hair. "I know it hurts, Reina. I'm very sorry, but you need to do as Midori says and relax."

She moaned, clenching her teeth together and squeezing her eyes shut and shook her head. "I can't..I can't...It hurts..."

Those who were gathered at the house, Aido, Kain, Ruka, Yuuki and Ken stayed downstairs and tried to drink tea while waiting for the ordeal upstairs to be over. The scent of blood was almost overwhelming and the screams of pain were too much for them though and all any of them could do was stare into their cups and wait. Emiko was clinging to Aido, burying her head in his shoulder to try and block out her mother's cries and Aido could only hold onto the frightened distractedly.

For hours they all remained gathered together, waiting in silence that was so deep that when the house finally did grow quiet, it startled them. Looking around to be sure that none of them were simply imagining things, everyone breathed a sigh of relief now that everything was over.

"Momma!" Emiko cried suddenly, her shout causing everyone to jolt. When all she did was clutch tighter to Aido and begin to sob, everyone became increasingly aware of the fact that Reina's aura was barely noticeable and was fading quickly.

"R-Reina-sama," Aido mumbled, blinking in shock.

* * *

"The child is fine, he's strong and very healthy," Midori assured Kaname as she handed the baby to Setsuka so that he could be cleaned and dressed warmly. "Reina-sama, are you alright?"

All she could do was groan tiredly and sinking into Kaname's embrace, her eyes drooping shut.

"Reina," Kaname called worriedly, running a hand over her face that was growing slack.

Her eyes fluttered briefly for a moment, but quickly closed again.

"She's lost a lot of blood," Midori noted, putting a hand to Reina's head to find that it was quickly cooling.

"Would everyone excuse us for a moment," Kaname asked, though it was far from a request. His eyes never left Reina's face as the room was vacated. "Reina...You need to wake up. You need to drink."

"So tired," she breathed.

"I know, you can sleep in a moment, but I need you to drink Reina."

There was no response from her this time and without a care Kaname brought his wrist to his mouth and bit ruthlessly into his own flesh, filling his mouth with as much blood as he could before placing his lips over Reina's and letting his blood slide from his mouth to hers. She swallowed all of it and her eyes opened tiredly, she smiled wanly at Kaname before nodding off to sleep.

Kaname wiped away a thin line of blood from Reina's mouth and was loathe to let her go, but the bed was practically destroyed and he knew that Midori and the other maids would want to clean everything up and make sure that Reina was as comfortable as possible. Gently setting her head upon a soft pillow, he kissed her forehead and stepped into the hall. The maids were still gathered there, Setsuka was rocking the newborn baby boy in her arms and the others were crowded around her, except for Midori who was anxiously waiting to return to Reina's side.

"Congratulations, Kaname-sama," Setsuka said, giggling as she tickled the baby's chin.

Kaname offered up as much of a smile as he could and took his child from Setsuka's arms. "Thank you. I'll leave Reina in your care for now."

* * *

"Kaname-sama!"

"Kaname!"

Aido and Yuuki were the first to rise from their seats, Aido still holding an upset Emiko in his arms.

"Where's momma?! Is momma ok?!" Emiko demanded tearfully.

"Reina is fine, Emiko. She just needs to rest. Would you like to meet your brother?"

"B-brother," Emiko stuttered, finally noticing the bundle in Kaname's arms. Wiping at her eyes, she broke free of Aido's hold and made her way cautiously to Kaname and the wriggling blankets he was carrying.

"Congratulations, Kaname," Yuuki chirped, stepping beside her older brother to get a better look at the newborn child.

"Thank you, Yuuki," Kaname replied, smiling warmly at her.

"What's his name?" Emiko asked from Yuuki's arms. The girl had been too short to see the baby and stuck her arms out expectantly to Yuuki who was closest to her and who couldn't ignore the pout she was getting.

"He doesn't have one yet. When your mom wakes up, we'll decided one then. Would you like to help?"

Emiko nodded emphatically, ecstatic over the idea of being able to help pick a name for her new brother and at the fact that Kaname seemed truly happy, which was a rare sight for him. Even when with Reina he always seemed so distant and unreachable and at times he scared her, but she knew that he wouldn't harm her and would always protect her.

* * *

For three days Reina slept and didn't wake, but during that time, her complexion began to return to normal and the lines on her face began to fade. When she finally woke it was to the sounds of a baby crying and someone talking softly. She fluttered her eyes open to see Kaname standing over a bassinet and gathering a fidgety bundle of blue blankets into his arms. Sensing her eyes on him, he turned to her and she smiled tiredly at him, but was unable to speak because she still felt incredibly tired.

Walking to the bed, Kaname sat down beside Reina with their child and smiled at her when she carefully and gently raised a shaking hand to rest it on top of the blankets before sighing contentedly and drifting back to sleep.

Another three days past and Reina slept on, oblivious to almost everything around her. One week after the birth of her son, she woke up to the scent of food and shakily pushed herself up in the bed and rubbed at her eyes. It took a moment for her eyesight to adjust, but when it finally did, she slid carefully from the bed, standing up on legs that felt rubbery and weak from lack of use. Unsteady steps slowly took her to the closet where she pulled on the first robe she grabbed, a dark blue one with silver lace accents. Her steps slowly became more steady as she left the bedroom, occasionally using the walls and furniture for support and grasping tightly to the banister of the staircase as she descended to the first floor.

Upon reaching the lower level of the house, she could hear everyone in the dining room, talking and laughing while they ate. The second she pushed the door open and leaned into the frame, all conversation died and all eyes locked onto her.

She smiled and laughed quietly. "Didn't anyone every tell you that's it rude to stare?"

"Reina!"

"Momma!"

"Ah, careful, Emi, I'm still not very steady," Reina chuckled, ruffling her daughters hair as the girl wrapped her arms around her waist. "And I see you Hana, there's no need to worry over me anymore, ok? Now come here and give me a hug!"

The icy eyed blond sniffled, but skipped to Reina's side and into her open arms.

"Really, you'd think I have three children and not just two," Reina sighed, consolingly patting Aido's and Emiko's heads.

"Hey, I thought I was the big brother!" Aido protested.

"You can't be a big brother Uncle Hana," Emiko said, grinning impishly. "Because you're still too immature."

"Who's immature you little brat!"

"You," Emiko replied, sticking her tongue out at Aido before running away only to have him chase after her, yelling that she better respect her elders.

Emiko giggled at Aido's overreaction while she ran and everything suddenly seemed right again, it was like time had stopped with Reina not being able to join them everyday, but now that she was back the whole world seemed to be much less sad and fearsome and much more bright.

While Aido and Emiko ran around the dining room, ignored by everyone who were used to their games and had gone back to eating, Kaname had stepped up to Reina and rested a hand on her back.

"Hello, Kaname," Reina said lovingly, turning her attention to her husband and smiling warmly.

"How are you feeling," he asked.

"Fine, a little weak, but fine," she answered honestly. "So where is our son?" She had barely finished her sentence when her face went blank and she turned to look at the window.

Emiko who had been happily laughing and taunting Aido, stopped running around the room and blankly turned to look out the window too. Having noticed Emiko's strange change, Aido walked up to her only to hear her utter a single word in confusion and uncertainty.

"Daddy?"

Reina didn't hear the word that had slipped from her daughter's lips, she was too uncertain about what it was she had felt. Kaname and Ken exchanged glances when Reina's mouth moved and a name fell from her lips before she blacked out and was caught in Kaname's grasp before she could fall to the floor.

"Emiko, would you look at me for a moment please," Ken asked, kneeling in front of the small girl and smiling. Once the little girl had turned to him, he raised a hand over her head and there was a flash of bright light before Emiko collapsed into Aido's arms.

"What's going on?"

Everyone turned to Yuuki and Ruka who were watching the scene in complete shock, neither one knew what was going on or why it was necessary to put both Reina and Emiko to sleep. Not to mention both girls had heard the name that had fallen from Reina's lips.

"Why did she suddenly say Ichijo's name? And why did Emiko ask for her father?" It was Yuuki who had spoken and she had risen from her seat to look between her big brother and her own husband. To her it was quite obvious that they were both hiding something and she wanted to know what, but judging by the look she was getting from Kaname she had a feeling she would be left in the dark. "Ken?"

"I'm sorry, Yuuki, it's best that you don't know," Ken replied, removing his eyes from her piercing gaze and looking sadly at Emiko as she slept in Aido's arms.

"Ken, Aido, Kain meet me in the study it seems we have something to discuss," Kaname said and without waiting for either one to respond, he turned away to take Reina to their room.

* * *

Please review!


	22. Chapter 22 Takuma

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 22**

**Takuma**

"Do you think they noticed," Sara asked, leaning seductively close to Michael.

A dark chuckle permeated the air and Michael removed his pale hand from his face to reveal his gray tinted green eyes and allowing his blond hair to fall into his face. "Oh, they noticed."

"Kaname will be angry," Sara giggled.

"I don't care, it's time the games began. I have every intention of taking everything from Reina. Starting with the lives of those around her and ending with her own. I'll make sure she suffers for what she did to me."

"How do you think she'll react when she sees the man that she loved killing all of her precious little friends and even the daughter she produced with him," Sara inquired with dark curiosity.

"I don't know, but the look on her face should prove to be quite entertaining. Especially if it's any better than the one just now when all she saw was his reflection in the window," Michael replied with a sadistic grin that looked out of place on the handsome face of the boy whose body he had taken for his own.

"She's weak now. Her body was too frail to carry a pureblood child and it has weakened her greatly."

Snorting arrogantly, Michael smirked. "Reina has always been weak. I suppose it's a good thing that I didn't take her as my wife. She was only good for bearing one pureblood child and now she'll never have another. Such a disgrace to the purebloods... I've said it before that woman doesn't deserve the blood flowing through her veins."

Running her fingers over Michael's pale cheek and brushing some blond hair from his eyes, Sara said, "Then maybe we should take it from her. I'm sure we can find something useful to do with it."

"All in due time."

* * *

"What do you think the meaning of that scene was," Kaname asked, directing his attention to Ken who was seated across from him.

The dark haired man shook his head and closed his eyes to let out a long sigh. "I really don't know. I think it's odd that none of us sensed anything, which leads me to believe that high level magic was used. Why magic would be used to make Reina and Emiko both react that way I don't know, all I can figure is that Michael is trying to announce his presence to everyone and to let Reina know that Takuma is alive."

Resting his chin on his steepled fingers, Kaname spoke again. "Whatever the meaning behind it is, I think we can assume that Michael and Sara have just about finished with whatever they're planning. We need to be on the lookout for them. And we need to be sure that Reina, Emiko and our son are all safe."

* * *

Reina groaned, fidgeting in the bed she was in only to be confused when she felt a light pressure on her right arm. Humming curiously, she blinked her sapphire eyes open to see that Emiko was curled up beside her, her golden head resting on her shoulder. It was slightly confusing to wake up in the position she was in with absolutely no memory of how she and Emiko had gotten to the room she and Kaname shared. Rubbing at her head with the tips of her fingers, she frowned feeling that she was forgetting something important. She brushed the feeling aside when she heard a quiet rustling and looked over to see the bassinet that her son slept in in the corner of the room.

She couldn't see over the edge of the crib, but she could sense the presence of the child she had carried for nine long months sleeping peacefully within it. Normally the child wasn't kept in the bedroom, but in his own nursery since Reina had been in no shape to care for the boy and needed as much rest as she could get without interruption. Sighing in contentment, she rested her cheek against Emiko's head until she felt the little girl begin to stir. Lifting her head, Reina tucked some golden blond hair behind the little girl's ear.

"Momma," Emiko muttered tiredly, letting her deep blue eyes open so she could groggily look up at her mother and rub at her eyes. "My head hurts."

Putting a hand on the girl's blond head, Reina smiled and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry little one, will you be okay?"

Pushing herself up carefully, Emiko nodded and looked around. A look of confusion bloomed on her face when she realized where she was. "Why are we in here?"

"I'm not really sure myself," Reina answered softly, frowning again when she got the sense that there was something she was forgetting. Shaking her head of the thought, she looked down at Emiko and smiled, pinching the little girl's nose. "You've grown in the last few months."

Grinning proudly, Emiko nodded. "Uncle Hana says it's all because of him."

Reina laughed, the quiet sound of tinkling bells that made Emiko's smile grow. "That's probably because you have a bad habit of draining poor Hana of all his energy. Really Emi, I'd appreciate it if you learned at least a little restraint. I like Hana. Drain Shiki more often, he never acts like he has energy anyways so there won't be much difference there."

"But Uncle Shiki and Aunt Rima never come to see us anymore," Emiko pouted, her chubby face falling.

Reina sighed and ruffled her hair. "They have their reasons, Emi. I'm sure they'll stop by to see us again soon enough."

The door to the room opened quietly and Kaname stepped inside, smiling warmly. "How are you feeling, Reina?"

"Fine, just what happened though? I don't remember," she admitted, frowning as she rested her cheek against the top of Emiko's head and ran her fingers through the girl's thick blond locks of hair.

"You came to join everyone for dinner, but you collapsed. I brought you up here to rest some more, Emi was worried as well and fell asleep with you."

"I see..But I feel as if I'm forgetting something," she replied softly.

"Perhaps you'll remember in time," Kaname suggested.

"Perhaps," Reina replied with a distracted smile.

"Emiko, would you mind giving your mother and I a moment alone," Kaname asked politely with a gentle smile to the young girl.

Nodding, Emiko smiled up at Reina and hopped off the bed, bouncing out of the room happily. She knew how much her mother loved Kaname and she knew that it had been a long time since they had been alone together while Reina was actually able to move once again. All she wanted was to see her mom smile again and she knew that Kaname would be able to help with that.

Once the door had shut behind Emiko, Kaname walked away from the sleeping child in the bassinet and approached Reina. It was amusing to watch her reaction. Her cheeks tinted the palest of pinks and she swallowed before her breathing became a little more shallow.

"I've missed you," Kaname uttered softly, sitting beside his wife and cupping her cheek in his palm, stroking the velvety flesh with his thumb.

Reina sighed and let her eyes flutter closed in response to the gentle, loving touch. "I've missed you too, Kaname...I love you," she said, taking the hand on her cheek and tenderly kissing the long fingers.

As Kaname made to reply a soft cry stole Reina's attention and her eyes strayed from his to settle upon the bassinet that their son was in. Standing from the bed, Kaname approached their child and gently lifted a bundle of squirming blue blankets into his arms. Returning to Reina, he laid the baby in her arms and watched her face brighten with happiness as she ran a finger over the soft cheek of their son and spoke quietly to him.

"I think he's going to look like you," Reina said, looking up with a content smile.

"Hopefully he doesn't act like me."

Reina chuckled softly. "You're not all bad, you have your good moments," she teased lovingly.

He couldn't think of anything to say in response, he felt too consumed with guilt. He had put Reina through enough in the time that they had known each other and now he was hiding the truth about the man she had loved so dearly and whose daughter was now like his own.

Sensing that something was bothering Kaname, Reina laid a hand on his cheek and when he looked up at her, smiled. "Something has been bothering you for sometime, Kaname. I don't expect you tell me everything, you have a lot to deal with as ruler of the vampire world and some of those things I am better off not involved in. I don't like to see you sad, not when we should be deciding on a name for our child."

"You're right, I apologize," Kaname replied, smiling ever so slightly and looking down at the bundle in Reina's arms. "It is about time that this little one received his name."

"Any ideas?"

"Perhaps we should ask Emiko, I told her that she could help in choosing a name."

* * *

"Hmmm, I think he looks like a Haruka," Emiko said surely, bobbing her head to prove she was certain of her answer.

Hearing the familiar name Reina blinked and looked to Kaname to see what his reaction would be to Emiko's suggestion that they give their son the same name as the man who had raised him. He didn't seem perturbed in the slightest, he smiled at Emiko and nodded.

"What do you think, Reina?" He asked.

Smiling, she replied, "I think it's perfect."

* * *

Michael snorted and turned away from the stone basin and the water that was mirroring the events that were happening in home that was quite far away. "Disgusting."

Lifting a blond brow in dainty amusement, Sara skipped to her lover's side and looped her arm through his. "You sound jealous, dear," she commented tauntingly.

Scoffing, Michael shook the small woman from his arm. "Jealous? Of that," he asked incredulously. "Far from it, it makes me want to be sick."

"Well, whatever," she replied dismissively, shrugging a thin shoulder arrogantly. "The little princess is still weak from childbirth don't you think now would be a good time to make our move?"

"Not while the others are there. Kaname won't leave her side willingly and after the earlier theatrics he knows that we're ready to begin moving. Let's give it a little time," Michael answered with a snake like smirk.

Sighing in disappointment, Sara let herself fall onto a lavish chaise and put a hand over her eyes. "But I'm bored," she complained.

"You're always bored. There's no satisfying you," Michael muttered in annoyance. "Anyways," he spoke up again. "We can't move while she has three purebloods guarding her. It's too risky."

Removing her arm from her eyes, Sara turned her attention to the now pacing form of Michael as he frowned at the flooring. She quirked her eyebrows and rested her head on her fist so that she could stare at him curiously. "You're worried that in your current state you won't be able to stand up to Kaname. It's not like you to be so...cowardly."

Hissing through clenched teeth, Michael turned his gray tinted green eyes in the direction of the beautiful golden haired girl that was watching him with amusement.

"Oops," she giggled innocently. "Did I saw that out loud? I didn't mean it. Honest."

"Of course you didn't," Michael grumbled angrily. "I'm not being a coward. I'm being careful. This body, as fun as it maybe, is not going to be able to withstand a battle with a pureblood like Kuran. He won't hesitate to kill his own friend if it means he can protect his precious little queen Reina. I may have a good deal of pure blood flowing through my veins, but it won't be much help against him. I can handle my brother, even his pretty little wife, but I know better than to pick a fight with Kaname. If I plan on living through to see this game to the end, I have to move carefully."

"Yes, yes," Sara sighed while flippantly waving a hand in the air. "Being careful is boring though, dear. I want to have some fun already."

"I didn't say you couldn't have fun, Sara," Michael replied, grinning devilishly at her. "I just said that our game was going to have to wait a little while longer. In the meantime we can always play other games."

"Now that sounds fun," the blond girl purred, tossing herself back onto the chaise with a wicked smiled on her doll like face. "I wonder what we should play..."

"How about a game that takes time and thought to play."

"Like a strategy game?"

"Why not?" Michael shrugged a shoulder and picked a glass of deep red colored liquid up from the desk he had stopped to lean against. "We have quite a bit of time to kill, after all," he said suggestively before taking a deep swig from the crystal glass.

"Yes, yes we do," replied Sara thoughtfully.

* * *

"How long has this been going on," Reina asked, her voice pouring through a speaker phone that was set up on a thick wooden table top.

"Apparently things of this... nature have been happening for over two years," Kaname answered. He was at the headquarters of the Vampire Hunter's Association, having been summoned by Cross in response to an urgent message with little information.

"Two years," Reina repeated. "Basically since the birth of our son. You can't tell me that this is just a coincidence?"

Cross spoke up, his eyes hidden behind his spectacles as he leaned back and the light from the overhead chandelier reflected off of the glass. "How we didn't find out until now... Well, that's fairly simple."

"Most people disappear, these didn't. They continued to live their lives almost normally," Zero finished, brushing his white hair from his face.

Glancing at Kaname, Zero shook his head before looking towards the speaker phone. They had decided that it was best to include Reina in the discussion over the recent discovery, but it was proving difficult to remain silent on certain topics when there was little doubt in the minds of those gathered at the Association headquarters that those topics were what they should be discussing.

"I don't know what it is," Zero replied after a few moments thought.

"You have to be kidding," Reina replied incredulously. "You find out that nearly a hundred people in the towns surrounding our home have been made vampires and you're telling me you no idea who's doing it?"

Zero looked away from the phone with a scowl and refrained from saying anything.

Kaname could easily sense that the news had troubled his wife. It was understandable and she was right, it was hardly a coincidence. There were few reason why the people in the surrounding towns would be turned into vampires that would obey whatever pureblood that made them and none of them boded well for their family.

"I doubt there is anything to worry about, Reina," Kaname offered reassuringly. "There's no way that former humans would be able to get through the security-"

"It's not the former humans that worry me, Kaname," Reina interrupted. "It's who made them and why."

"I understand that the news is upsetting, but we're dealing with the situation as best we can and we will provide you with as much protection as you need," Cross said. "We've already sent a number of hunters to the villages and your home to be sure that your family is safe."

"And what good would a small group of hunters be against an army of vampires and their pureblood lord? I'm not taking you lightly," Reina continued before Zero could remind her that it had been hunters that had helped her against the Takamora's several years before. "I'm simply saying that we don't know what we're up against. We have an idea and it could be only one pureblood and with those of us here one pureblood wouldn't be much of a challenge. However, I doubt that Daiki Takamora did all of this on his own."

"You're right," Zero agreed, lounging back in the seat he was in and eying Kaname almost lazily while ignoring the warning glances cast in his direction by Cross. "We don't believe it was one pureblood, but two, maybe even three."

"Three? What makes you say that," Reina inquired.

Zero shrugged. "Just a hunch," he answered boredly.

Silence descended upon the phone line a moment. "A hunch, hm? Mind elaborating?"

"Even if there are three purebloods," Cross cut in. "We've dealt with worse odds in the past and survived. There's nothing to worry about."

"Of course there's nothing to worry about. Even if there are three purebloods they can be dealt with easily enough," Zero said.

"I hope you're right," Reina spoke up. "I'm not going to sit idly by like a good little girl if I sense that my family is in danger. I suggest you find the cause of the.. disturbance, and take care of it."

The line went dead and silence engulfed the room. Cross leaned forward and pushed a button to quiet the phone that was beginning to beep loudly at them after having been left off the hook for too long.

"Kiryu," Kaname called conversationally, his face blank. "Is there a reason why you tried to provoke Reina with your mention of three purebloods?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Kuran," Zero answered a sharp not to his otherwise calm tone.

Speaking up before the two men could start any type of argument, Cross cleared his throat and began. "Kaname, we need to begin to formulate some sort of plan. There's little doubt about who is behind the turning of the people in the area, but we have yet to figure out where they're hiding or why they're taking the time to surround you with vampires they've turned. It makes no sense that they would waste time creating vampires that wouldn't last seconds when face to face with a pureblood. They should have made their move by now."

"It seems strange that they would wait so long I don't understand it myself," Kaname admitted, resting his arms on the dark wood of the chair he rested in. "We can assume that Michael has been biding his time, he's no longer in the body of a pureblood and he knows that he's weak."

"So it's a distraction," Zero asked.

"If he keeps us focused on the people that are being turned then it gives him the opportunity to move about freely," Cross added, nodding his head as he tried to weigh the possibilities that the recent events where nothing more than a distraction.

Kaname shook his head. "If that were the case then as you said already, he should have made his move by now. Yet he hasn't and now the security around Reina and the children is tighter than it's ever been. There's something else going on."

Cross sighed tiredly. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"What do you think Michael could be planning? Why would he go through all the trouble of having his father or Sara turn the locals?" Zero asked.

"You're the Hunters isn't it your job to keep tabs on troublesome vampires," Kaname replied with a small, taunting smile.

Gritting his teeth, Zero forced himself to not throw his pencil at the pureblood's head. Instead he set the writing utensil aside and glowered at the brown haired man. "You know full well that we've tried to pinpoint the location of Takuma Ichijo's body, Sara Shirabuki and Daiki Takamora. And you know that we've had no luck in finding them. I thought it was the duty of the self proclaimed king of the vampires to keep all of the leeches in line."

Eyes glinting darkly, Kaname smiled. "Touché. It seems we've both failed in our duties."

Snorting, Zero tossed his head and leaned it against the cold, hard wood of his seat. "We still haven't figured out what we're going to do about the situation."

"There's not much we can do," Cross answered, his eyes scanning through a document in his hand. "Each and every one of the humans that were turned were apparently all turned within the confines of the laws. None of them were forced, it was their choice to be turned. Many of them have also apparently said that the one to have turned them was a beautiful, mystery woman with golden hair who was always accompanied by a handsome young man whose most notable feature was his eyes. They appeared to be emerald green, but they were shadowed with gray."

"When exactly were you planning on telling me this, Cross," Zero growled at the blond man who was looking at a sheet of paper before him with extreme interest.

"Hm?" Crossed hummed, blinking innocently up at the angry silver haired president of the Vampire Hunter's Society. "Sorry, what?"

Growling, Zero shook his head and resisted the urge to punch the man only a few feet away from him. Eyebrow twitching, he fisted his hands and glared at his former caretaker. "Was there anything else that you'd like to inform us about before we continue, Cross?"

"Hm? Nope, that's it," said man chirped happily. When he noticed Zero wasn't going to stop glaring at him, the man sighed. "The report came in just before the meeting, I hadn't looked it over yet."

"Idiot," Zero muttered darkly.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this," Cross admitted, setting down the document in his hands and adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah," Zero sighed, frowning up at the ceiling. "Me too."

"We can only do the same thing we've been doing for nearly eight years. Wait. The passage of a few years is nothing to a vampire, Michael is playing games and keeping himself entertained while he waits for the perfect opportunity to strike," Kaname said.

"When would that be?"

"Preferably?" Kaname replied. "When Reina's alone."

* * *

Setting the phone aside, Reina sighed and looked up curiously as the doorbell rang. Glancing toward the open doors of the library that she had been sitting in, she hummed thoughtfully when the doorbell sounded once again. Figuring that it was just another delivery for the upcoming surprise engagement party that she and Kaname were throwing for Kain and Ruka.

After years of being in love with the blond girl Kain had asked her to marry him, never mind the fact that they had never dated or anything. Much to his surprise, but not disappointment, she had said yes. They now spent much of their time together and Reina was quite happy for the couple that had both finally opened up to one another.

She stood up from where she sat, setting down the flowers she had been arranging in their black and white vase onto the table. There was another vase beside the one she had just finished arranging, a yellow, black and red hand painted Chinese styled one with white orchids and sprigs of cherry blossoms, she lifted this vase from the table and took it with her as she stepped out of the library and gracefully walked down the hall to the front doors.

The house was almost empty only Reina, Emiko, Haruka and their maids, Setsuka and Midori, in the house with very few others. Aido and Kain had left with Kaname, Shiki and Rima were at a modeling shoot and Ruka was with her family making wedding arrangements.

Since most of the staff was busy with planning and shopping for the party that was now less than a week away and even Setsuka and Midori where busy with chores that weren't usually theirs, Reina wasn't surprised that no one had heard the doorbell.

Gliding elegantly down the hall towards the door, Reina carefully held the vase of flowers in one hand and opened the door with the other. "May I help you," she asked jovially, smiling up at her visitor only to suck in a deep breath when she met the eyes of the man that stood outside her home.

The sound of something shattering echoed loudly throughout the quiet manor as the colorful vase of flowers fell from Reina's shaking hand and erupted when it hit the floor. Water, flowers and brightly colored plaster splashed over the wood at her feet and all she could do was stare in shock up at the familiar face that was leering at her in such an unfamiliar way.

"Takuma..."

* * *

~A/N~......Don't kill me? Please?.... Ahem... Anyways, sorry about the extremely long, long wait. Very sorry. I have no excuse seeing as how once I sat down and focused this chapter only took me about three hours to finish. (Half of the beginning was already done...) I do apologize though and I will try my absolute hardest not to make everyone wait so ridiculously long again.

Well I would like to thank everyone for sticking with this story..If you've stuck with it that is... I hope you have and I really, really hope that you'll review!


	23. Chapter 23 Games

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 23**

**Games**

Kaname lifted his head from his hand, the distant look he wore fading as he turned to look out the nearest window. Though his face gave nothing away his aura did, it fluctuated angrily. No, anger wasn't quite correct. Rage would be more fitting for the feeling that washed over him and that permeated the air of the room.

"Kaname?"

He ignored the person calling for him, instead focusing on the distant aura he could always feel no matter where he was and the emotions that were suddenly ripping through the normally calm, happy person.

"Kaname?"

Turning his cold eyes on the person addressing him, he fixed Kaien Cross with a glare that nearly turned the man to ice. "I'm afraid this meeting is over for now. Excuse me."

"What do you mean this meeting is over?" Cross inquired as Kaname stood from the chair he had been in without another glance in the man's direction.

"Reina's in danger," was his only answer before Kaname glided to the door.

Stepping into the dimly lit hallway where Kain and Aido waited, both men looked up at the pureblood uncertainly. His aura was rather unforgiving and they weren't quite sure what had happened. They waited for Kaname to say something, but he simply disappeared, his body becoming a dark, velvety substance that appeared to evaporate into nothingness.

Kain and Aido exchanged glances before turning and leaving the hallway themselves.

Having seen the pureblood lord disappear along with his two minions, Yagari sauntered into the meeting room that Zero and Cross were still sitting in, pulling his cigarette from his mouth while he went. "What's going on?"

Cross glanced over his shoulder at his longtime friend. "It seems that Reina is in danger. I'm assuming Michael has made his move, Kaname and the others have already left to help. I have no doubt that Kaname will make back to the manor, but the others will most likely be held up by the Level D vampires that have been created in the area."

Frowning, Yagari walked over to Zero and lazily ruffled his silver hair. "What should we do," he asked boredly, ignoring Zero's threats as he leaned into his apprentice's chair and blew smoke into his face.

Cross glanced at his disheveled friend before switching his attention to Zero who was twitching with pent up frustration and was clearly resisting the urge to strangle his former teacher. "Well, what do you want to do, Zero?"

Zero looked at Cross for a moment before standing up himself. "You two can do whatever you'd like. I can reach the house a lot quicker than either of you."

"Won't the hundred or so vampires surrounding that place be a bit difficult to get through on your own," Yagari asked.

Fixing the dark haired man with a look that clearly said he felt he was being underestimated, Zero scoffed. "Did you forget who you were talking to? Of course I can get through."

"Is she in danger," Cross inquired seriously, eyes focused on Zero..

Taking a glance out of the same window as Kaname had, Zero took a few seconds to study the quickly darkening world outside. A thoughtful frown creased his handsome features and he nodded. "Yeah, she's in danger."

Rising from his own seat, his demeanor resolute and stern, Cross sighed. "Then we'll meet you at the manor as soon as we can."

Zero nodded and strolled quickly from the room. His feet carried him to the main entrance of the old, imposing structure that was the Hunter's Association Headquarters and into the forest beyond. Having become rather accustomed to the powers and abilities that he had gained even though he loathed using them, Zero could move quickly and fluidly over long distances when need be. Like now, he melted away into the shadows of the forest as if he was nothing more than a phantom.

* * *

Her entire body froze, even her breath halted in her lungs while her sapphire eyes stayed fixed on the painfully familiar face of her former lover. When she was finally able to take in a shaky breath, her whole body trembled with confusion and disbelief. She had no idea what to do or what to say. All she knew was that Takuma Ichijo was standing on her doorstep smiling at her as if he had never left her side.

"Takuma," she repeated again, barely above a whisper.

Warm, salty tears built up in her eyes and she took a hesitant step forward before stopping and swallowing. It couldn't be real. That's what she was saying over and over again to herself while letting her eyes roam over the body of the man she had so dearly loved what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Hello."

The sound of his voice, soft, airy and so very familiar made Reina's tears pour from her eyes and trail down her cheeks. Her knees grew weak and she lifted a hand, reaching towards the smiling face to see if he was solid and not just a figment of her imagination. When her fingers lightly brushed over his cheek, she chocked on a quiet sob before closing her eyes in an attempt to try and clear her mind and find a way to deal with the shock of seeing Takuma standing before her.

Instead of clearing her mind, Reina found a flurry of disturbing images flying quickly through her mind. They were all images she had seen before. In the nightmares that haunted her. Her eyes snapped open and all air was knocked from her lungs as her vision swam and her body went numb. A delicate hand rose to cover her mouth and the other to rose her stomach to try and calm the sheer panic and disbelief that made her feel as if she would vomit. She stared into the green eyes that were peering at her with a look mixed with hate and disgust, a look that didn't belong in the eyes of the man before her.

She was confused, frightened and wanted nothing more than to crumple to her knees in front of the man she had thought was dead, but was clearly live. His anger and hate that were directed at her made her wonder what had happened to him in the years he had been gone, the Takuma she knew and loved didn't have the ability to hate anyone, he was far too kind. But this man, this Takuma, was so full of violent emotions that she had a hard time believing that it was really Takuma, her Takuma, at all.

The dark aura that clung to him like a second skin didn't seem possible for the man that she remembered so fondly. Reina could remember what his aura had felt like, but because she had had to relearn everything after Michael had temporarily killed her vampiric side she had no idea if the warm aura she knew was the same aura as the one that now assaulted her with coldness. Part of her wanted to believe that it wasn't Takuma that stood before her, his kind smile morphing into a feral leer. There was just no way that the Takuma she remembered could ever become so full of hate and anger.

However her eyes were telling her that the man she was staring at was in fact the Takuma she knew and had loved.

"Aren't you going to invite me in, Reina, dear?"

Reina blinked, taking a step back when Takuma stepped towards her. The wood flooring was slippery beneath her bare feet and she winced when she stepped on a piece of the vase she had dropped.

"Such a lovely smell." Takuma stated boldly when the light scent of fresh blood met his nose.

Cocking her head, Reina narrowed her eyes to study the man before her more closely. The voice, though familiar, didn't seem right. There was something in the tone and a subtle lilt that she knew Takuma had never possessed that made her begin to doubt that the person stepping closer towards her was really Takuma. Taking another step back, Reina looked searchingly into the eyes of the man approaching her.

"Mother, are you-"

Reina's eyes widened and she snapped her head towards the sound of her daughter's voice. Emiko was standing towards the top of the stairs, her sapphire eyes fixed on the man that stood just inside the door.

"Emi," Reina whispered, her body becoming overwhelmed with a nauseating fear as she recalled all of the dreams she had in which the Takuma she had once loved so much was replaced by some twisted version of himself. A version similar to the one that now stood before her. Dreams in which he tried to kill Emiko in front of her eyes, where he tried to kill her too. "Emi, get your brother and-"

"Now, now Reina, the poor girl has never had a chance to meet her father. Don't take that away from her," the beautiful yet sinister man cut in, fully entering the house and shutting the door behind him.

The man stepped closer to Reina who stood between him and the stairwell that Emiko stood, transfixed, at the top of. Snapping out of her stupor, Reina took another step back and kept herself positioned between the stairs and the man who she was struggling to believe wasn't Takuma, but her eyes wouldn't let her believe anything else. Her eyes were telling her that despite what her body and her heart felt that the man in front of her was in fact Takuma.

"Emi, get your brother and hide," Reina instructed her young daughter sternly. When the blond girl didn't obey, but only continued to stare at the man who was sneering up at her, Reina grew impatient."Go," she screamed at her daughter that was frozen in fear on the steps.

Her mother's shouts snapped the seven year old girl from her confused thoughts. She knew the man below, recognized his face and aura, but he was nothing like he was supposed to be. He was wrong, everything about him was wrong. Turning on her heels, Emiko fled the stairs, her golden hair dancing behind her as she ran to retrieve her younger brother.

Takuma tutted, shaking his head in disappointment as Emiko disappeared. "That wasn't necessary, I have no intention of hurting her. Not at the moment, anyways."

Eyes narrowing when Takuma turned his attention back to her, Reina held her ground and remained silent.

Sighing, Takuma ran a hand through his straw colored locks and shook his head as if disappointed. "I hope you realize that it doesn't matter where they hide, I will find those precious little children. Emiko and Haruka, wasn't it?" He asked, shrugging carelessly.

"Leave my children alone," Reina said strongly, curling her small hands into fists to try and keep her body from trembling.

An amused smirk appeared on the handsome face of Takuma Ichijo and the tall, thin man began to walk closer to Reina who backed up further until she bumped into the bottom step. Frowning, but not taking her eyes from the advancing man, Reina attempted to turn to her left, away from the stairs and towards the more open area of the entry. She didn't get far when cold fingers latched onto her throat, keeping her from moving any further.

She hissed to show her displeasure, but didn't try to struggle out of the tight grasp. "What do you want?"

Chuckling, Takuma pushed Reina backwards, forcing her to crash into the stairs. Before she could stand up, he positioned himself over her, pinning her in her place.

"What do I want," he repeated. "Has your beloved husband really not told you anything?"

Reina's eyes flashed uncertainly. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come now, dear. Can't figure it out for yourself? Take a good look into my eyes and tell me what you see."

Blinking and taking a shuddering breath, Reina fidgeted uncomfortably. Slowly, she let her eyes fully meet the green orbs that were staring down at her with the hunger of a starved wild animal. Only now she noticed that the eyes meting hers weren't quite green. They were a smoky gray with traces of a dim, dull green.

"Impossible," she muttered, her face draining of all color and her chest beginning to rise and fall in response to the panic and confusion that was building up in her. She shook her head slowly in disbelief even though she knew the gesture would do nothing to make the truth any less true. "You're dead," she whispered. "Kaname killed you."

"Now which one are you talking about, dear, me or the original owner of this body?"

Taking a shuddering breath, Reina shook her head again. "What did you to Takuma," she asked quietly, her voice beginning to fill with horror before she took a short pause before speaking a name she thought she would never have to again. "Michael Takamora."

A wide grin spread across Takuma's face and his shoulders bounced as he chuckled in dark amusement. "I took over his body, of course."

"Why," Reina asked, her eyes growing watery once again.

"Because it was available," Michael replied.

"You had no right-"

Shushing her, Michael laid a finger over Reina's mouth. "I had every right to take this body for my own. I'm a pureblood, Reina, the lower classes exist only to our bidding. It is a shame that it's not the body of a pureblood, but still he was quite strong, so it wasn't a total waste."

"Bastard," Reina hissed, salty tears slipping from her eyes and trailing down her chin.

Clucking his tongue, Michael wagged a finger back and forth. "Now, now there's no need to get angry. Besides," he said silkly, leaning closer to Reina and brushing some of her hair from her neck while he lightly breathed over her white skin. "It's not like you can harm this body. The body of the one you once loved so much."

Grinding her teeth together, Reina fisted her hands and clenched her eyes shut. Ignoring the feel of the warm puffs of air that were caressing her skin, she tried to tell herself that Takuma was dead and that the man that had her pinned to the stairs deserved the worst kind of death imaginable for all of the pain he had caused. Taking a deep breath she let her eyes reopen and all that Michael saw before he flew off of her and slammed into the door was a bright flash of crimson.

Slowly getting to her feet, Reina kept her head lowered, but the red glow her eyes were emitting and the ominous threat in her aura were not things that she bothered to try and hide. "How dare you," she hissed, the tears that were streaming down her chinks tinted red from the glow of her eyes. "I am no longer the weak little girl you remember, Michael. The title of the queen of our race wasn't given to me lightly. I will teach you what happens when you abuse the laws of our kind."

The delicate, pale hand that lifted from her side was completely steady even as thick reddish black liquid weaved around between her thin fingers. Her head stayed lowered, her long white hair obscuring most of her face, even though she didn't have her eyes on him she had no problem using her abilities to tightly pin the blond vampire to the door. Tendrils of dark smoke that seemed to appear out of nowhere were wrapping themselves around his body, crawling over him like vines and securing him to the door so that he could hardly move a muscle.

Enduring this without a word, Michael waited until the tendrils to begin wrapping around his throat before he spoke up. "R-Reina...W-What are you doing? It hurts.."

Reina's eyes widened and she ground her teeth together, her fangs piercing through the think pink skin of her lower lip and causing to thin trails of red to leak from them. "Shut up, Michael," she demanded, the fingers of her hand mercilessly curling causing the vines around the hijacked body of her former lover to tighten.

A strangled cry of pain filled the air and Reina had to squeeze her eyes shut as Takuma's voice begged and pleaded for her to release him, to explain what was going and even saying that he loved her.

"Shut up," Reina screamed after hearing the painfully familiar voice despairingly murmur its lover for her for the fifth time. She dropped to her knees, tears pouring down her cheeks and dripping on to the fabric of the knee length light gray lace skirt that was spread around her. Her hands curled into fists and her shoulders began to shake. "Just shut up," she mumbled weakly.

"See, what did I tell you, Reina, dear? You can't harm this body," Michael taunted proudly. "Now, shall I explain why I came here or should I just show you?"

The tears streaming down her cheeks were never ending and Reina shook her head, not wanting to show Michael how much he had gotten to her. "Just leave me alone, Michael. Haven't you ruined enough lives?"

Roughly, grabbing Reina's chin, he smirked down into her desperate eyes, his fangs glinting in the light of the chandelier above them. "No. You ruined my life and I will ruin yours by taking everything you ever cared about. While you watch of course because what fun would it be otherwise?"

She said nothing while Michael continued to smirk darkly down at her, when he released her chin she let it drop into her chest in defeat.

"Now let's see who should I start with," Michael mused thoughtfully.

Eyes widening when she sensed three new presences suddenly appear in the room/ Reina's head shot up and her eyes that had returned to their normal sapphire color met with the crystal blue eyes of Hanabusa Aido. Beside the stunned and confused looking boy was his taller cousin, Akatsuki Kain.

"I must say you two arrived much sooner than I thought you would," Michael stated with sadistic glee. "Thank you for being so quick, Father," he said, glancing behind Reina at the tall figure looking over her.

"Reina-sama," Aido cried trying to run towards the fallen pureblood.

"Hana," Reina yelled, rising to her feet when the blond boy was thrown backwards with so much force that even after slamming into his cousin, both boys flew threw the wall that divided the entrance from the entertainment room. She had barely taken a step forward when her eyes widened and a shout of surprise erupted from her. Invisible energy had slammed into her torso and sent her smashing into the stairs, shattering several of the wooden beams with her back.

"Still haven't learned to behave I see."

"Daiki Takamora," Reina said, her teeth clenched together as she struggled to remove herself from the mess of the stairwell. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Women were meant to be seen, not heard. So keep your mouth shut," Daiki growled ruthlessly.

Reina's face distorted into a look of pain when her head was forced back to slam into the stairs.

"Don't get too carried away, Father, I want her conscious when I murder her precious little friends," Michael reminded his angered fathered.

Groaning, Reina struggled to sit up, but yelped when her hair was entangled in Daiki's fingers and she was roughly pulled up from the mangled mess she was in.

"I told you," Reina murmured quietly, stopping after being pulled forward several steps, her eyes growing red while her fangs pressed against her lips. "I'm not the same weak little girl I was the last time we met."

Michael's eyes widened, but he couldn't move quick enough in the stolen body of the aristocrat and was forced to watch as Reina's eyes grew red with anger and determination. Even his father was stunned with the speed and grace she was able to move with, so much so that he barely registered the hand that was thrust through his chest piercing brutally through his heart before his head snapped backwards with a sickening crunch.

Turning her head to look over her shoulder at Michael, Reina barely twitched her fingers and simultaneously sent Michael slamming into the wall that now had a gaping hole in it and sent a powerful surge of energy through Daiki's chest, making his heart explode before he could attempt to heal himself.

Red crystals and dust showered into the air and clattered to the floor around Reina, who paid them no heed as she stepped towards Michael, her aura thick with anger and rage.

"If you think I'll let you harm a single person I care about, you're wrong. Dead wrong," she said threateningly.

Michael began to giggle and laugh like a crazed lunatic and Reina narrowed her eyes, watching him closely. "You think that will stop me from taking everything from you, just like you took everything from me?... You really don't know me at all, do you?"

"You're forgetting that I'm the pureblood queen of our race," Reina replied. "How exactly do you think you will be able to do anything at all to me or anyone I care about?"

"Simple," Michael answered, grinning at her. "After all, I still have a few cards up my sleeve."

Tilting a brow upwards, Reina folded her arms over her chest and kept her eyes on Michael. "Oh really and what makes you think I'll allow you to use them? If you're in Takuma's body and Takuma is dead then there really is no reason for me to hesitate in killing you and letting the man I loved rest peacefully."

"Who said he was dead?"

* * *

~A/N~

Oh darn another cliffhanger... Me and my silly cliffies. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. There's only going to be two more chapters I think before this story will come to an end. Once that happens I'm hoping to try and start writing my Zero x OC fic. If you're curious about that you can look up the brief outline on my profile page.

Review please!


	24. Chapter 24 Planning for the End

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 24**

**Planning for the End  
**

"What?" Reina questioned, her eyes weary and her voice cracking. She stared at the smirking face of a man she knew didn't belong to the man she had once loved, at least not any longer.

"Who said that Takuma Ichijo was dead," Michael repeated, the malicious smirk he wore widening in response to the look of dread and uncertainty on Reina's face. "As a pureblood, Reina, you should know that you don't have to kill the owner of a body just to take it over."

She couldn't speak only blink dazedly over at Michael as he stepped towards Aido and Kain who were both beginning to struggle out of the debris of the fallen wall they had both been thrown through. She watched as Michael's hand reached for Hanabusa's neck, the long fingers relentlessly encircling the blond's throat and hefting him roughly from the rubble. Her body refused to move or react, her mind was too full and jumbled to allow her to properly think through what was going on.

Growling his displeasure, Aido attempted to free himself of the gruff hand that was latched onto his neck. Ice began to crawl up the legs of his captor, freezing him to the spot as his nails bit into the flesh of his wrist.

"Will you let this boy kill me, Reina? Will you let him take Takuma from you?" Michael taunted.

"Reina," Aido ground out, watching as the white haired pureblood's head fell into her chest and her small hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her entire body was shivering and her tears had once again begun to trickle down her cheeks in her confusion.

"I... I don't know what to do, Hana," she mumbled, her voice thick with despair. "I just... I can't..."

Frowning sadly, Aido understood that Reina must have felt very torn. Not knowing whether Takuma was really still alive and struggling against the pureblood that had taken over his body must have made things very difficult for her. She had been willing to fight earlier when she had believed that Takuma was dead and that his body was just an empty shell that had been stolen and used for the benefit of the twisted man that inhabited it. Now that she wasn't sure what to believe she didn't know what to do. She had loved Takuma and she was incapable of causing harm to someone she had once loved so much.

Grunting and grimacing in pain when Michael drew the sharp nails of his free hand across his cheek, Aido fidgeted in the strong grasp that held him firmly.

Sensing Kaname drawing near, Reina fell to her knees and let her hair cascade around her and hide her face from view. "..Please hurry, Kaname," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut as the scent of Aido's blood filled the air, growing heavier as Michael dug his nails deeper into the vampire's flesh.

Kaname who was already quickly approaching the outskirts of the town that lay at the bottom of the hill that led to the Tsukina Manor heard Reina's quiet plea. It echoed in his head and spurred him on. There was a gathering of level D vampires congregating in the area around the manor, it took him less than five seconds to kill any that even dared to move towards and continued to glide through the forest until the manor was in sight. Slipping through an open window and into the house, he appeared behind Reina, his eyes glowing and his nails extending and sharpening.

Michael barely had time to register the pureblood's arrival due to his speed and he hadn't even noticed that he was no longer strangling Aido until he smashed into the large television that dominated the far side of the entertainment room. The shattering of glass echoed throughout the house and the sound it created when it fell to the floor reminded Reina of rain. A sound that usually calmed her but that now made her nails bite into her skin.

"Reina," Kaname inquired softly, leaning down and pushing her hair from her face so that he could lift her chin and stare into her eyes that looked so lost and alone. "Everything will be alright... Don't cry my love." Brushing her tears from her cheeks with his fingertips and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, he straightened and let his crimson eyes lock on Michael.

For him there was no Takuma Ichijo, that man, his once trusted friend, had died and his body had been stolen by the monster that now stood before him. "Didn't I warn you, Takamora, that if you so much as looked at Reina I would kill you?" The threat was so obvious in Kaname's voice and his aura that Aido and Kain both flinched and scurried out of the entertainment room, Aido uncertainly eying Reina as she sat shaking on the floor. "It's alright, Aido, please help Reina to our room. I'll be there as soon as I've finished with our guest."

Nodding, Aido rushed to Reina's side and knelt beside her. At first he wasn't sure if she would try to stand on her own, but when he saw she had no intention of moving, he carefully picked her up, one hand around her back and the other beneath her knees. Her head rested on his shoulder and she nestled her face into his neck, not even noticing the scent of the blood that had dried on his cheek and neck.

"Wait," she murmured before Aido could carry her too far. One of her pale hands reached for Kaname and she lifted her head from Hanabusa's shoulder.

Taking the delicate hand into his own, Kaname held it to his chest and ran his free hand through Reina's hair. "It will be alright, Reina," he assured the beautiful broken woman, kissing her hand before laying it on her chest as Michael began to pick himself up. "Go and rest. I assume the children are safe?"

Reina nodded, laying her head back down against Hana's shoulder. "Yes, Emi knows where to go, they're fine, but Kaname-"

"Go, Aido," Kaname cut in, tearing his eyes from Reina, his demeanor becoming cold and unforgiving as his crimson orbs met Michael's.

"Kaname," Reina repeated pleadingly. "He's not dead, Kaname.. Takuma-"

"This isn't Takuma, Reina. Takuma is-"

Reina shook her head vehemently. "He's not dead. He's still..." She trailed off, her tears pouring from her eyes. Hiding her face in Hanabusa's neck, Reina clutched tightly to her close friend and tried not to break down any more than she already had.

"She's telling the truth, Kuran, her precious little Ichijo isn't dead. He's just...sleeping," Michael said, his grin growing.

Eyes narrowing, Kaname fixed Michael with a heated glare. "Take Reina to our room, Aido," he commanded, his eyes never leaving the grinning man that was sauntering his way towards the broken wall.

Nodding once again, Aido turned away and walked up the broken steps carefully with Reina carefully held in his arms. His fiery haired cousin trailed along behind him.

Once Aido had reached the top of the stairs and disappeared from sight as he turned the corner, Kaname flew forward, one hand tightly coiling around the slender throat of the vampire that had dared to enter his home and threaten his wife and children. His other hand melted away and reformed into a sharp curved blade that was pressed so roughly against the neck of the man whose neck he was holding tightly that blood began to leak down the pale skin.

Fangs extending and eyes flashing dangerously, Kaname spoke in a low, demanding voice. "I warned you of what would happen should you harm her in anyway, Michael. Did you think you could get away with it?"

Looking quite disinterested in what was going on, Michael sighed in boredom. "Really now, Kuran, what do you think you could do? You won't kill me... Or should I say you can't kill me?"

Tilting a brow upwards, Kaname replied, "What makes you think I can't kill you?"

Choking on the laughter that had begun to bubble from his lips, Michael cringed away from the pureblood when the blade of his transformed hand pressed deeper into his neck. It had never occurred to him that Kaname would actually be able to kill him, not while he inhabited the body of a man that had once supported him and loyal served him and his precious queen. His resolve faltering, Michael twitched in discomfort and hesitantly met the angry pureblood's eyes.

"Did you really believe that after you would be able to threaten Reina and our children and live? Are you really that foolish? I'm not as kind as Reina."

Michael squirmed, fruitlessly trying to escape the relentless grasp that Kaname had on him. He knew the pureblood would kill him without remorse and with his life hanging by a thin thread, he was on the verge of panicking. Just as Kaname pulled his transformed hand back in preparation to slice his head off, Michael lost all his fear and smirked knowingly. The raised never lowered to sever his head from his body. A delicate, graceful hand had stopped the blade in its path as a shower of sparkling golden hair floated elegantly around the angelic face of the woman that had stopped it.

"Sara," Kaname greeted blandly.

"Hello, Kaname," the beautiful the young pureblood replied, smiling demurely. "You don't look happy to see me."

Pulling his hand back, Kaname stepped backwards and away from Sara and Michael. "Don't play coy, Sara, you may be a pureblood, but that doesn't mean that you can get away with playing games with my family."

"I never thought that the most feared head of the Kuran can would be so...human. You've grown weak, Kaname," Sara said, her voice lilting amusedly while she continued to smile.

"I think you're forgetting who you're talking to, Sara," Kaname replied, smiling slightly when a blast of invisible energy blew Michael off of his feet and sent him careening into the wall, another blast blew past Sara who had stepped out of its path.

"You ruined my dress," the girl sighed, holding up the now shredded right side of her pale blue gown. "Play time is over for now," she complained flippantly. "Come along, Michael, I've lost interest in this game. I'm bored."

"We're not done here," Michael snarled, pushing his way out of the rubble of the wall his back had broken apart.

Turning and fixing Michael with a cold stare, Sara made it obvious she wasn't in the mood for Michael's arguments. "We're leaving."

Grinding his teeth together, Michael nodded in agreement. Seconds later the two disappeared, leaving Kaname standing alone in the ruined room. After several long moments of thought the pureblood turned and strode from the room.

He didn't go to the room that he shared with Reina, instead he made his way down the corridor that led to the back stairwell and the room where the vault was hidden. At Kaname's suggestion a newer door had been placed on the vault that would scan the fingerprints of those wishing to enter. Of course there were still several traps in place for anyone who tried to get the vault uninvited, but Emiko had long ago learned how to disable them. It was something that Reina had shown her so that should anything ever happen where Reina was unable to be with her children in a time of crisis they could hide themselves in the vault.

Making his way past the disabled traps and into the room that housed the large vault that now kept safe not only the Tsukina's heritage but much of the Kuran's as well, Kaname pressed his thumb against a small dark pad that lit up and scanned his finger print. After accepting the print the panel requested a pin number which he quickly entered.

The door clicked and clacked before noiselessly swinging open on well oiled hinges. When he step into the controlled coolness of the vault, he turned his head towards a small desk where he saw his son scribbling away unconcerned about anything in a coloring book. Opposite him was Emiko who glanced up at him with wide, worried eyes, but she stayed seated and as calm as possible so as not to alarm her younger brother.

"Daddy!" The young boy cried, leaping from the chair he had been in and tossing the crayons he had been using absently onto the desktop. Giggling the boy ran towards Kaname, arms outstretched and flailing haphazardly.

Smiling, Kaname picked the brown haired boy up and kissed his temple. "Hello, Haruka. Have you been behaving for your sister?"

Nodding emphatically, the three year old grinned proudly. "We were playing hide and seek. Mommy was supposed to come find us, but I guess we win 'cause she couldn't find us in here. Big sis, Emi, knows the best hiding places!"

"This was a good hiding place even I had a hard time finding you," Kaname lied smoothly. "But since I did, why don't we go up to your room and play a game in there instead."

"Will you play too?"

Kaname shook his head, sighing when the three year old's face pulled into a moping pout. "You can play with Aido and Kain for a little while and I'll play later, ok?"

"Promise?"

"Promise," Kaname replied, smiling and bumping his forehead against his son's making the boy grin crookedly.

Standing from where she had been sitting patiently, Emiko walked over to Kaname and stood silently beside him, her blue eyes staring distractedly towards the door of the vault. She may have still been young, but she was still a vampire and could easily smell the scent of blood, her mother's and Aido's sticking out to her the most.

Laying a hand on the girl's head, Kaname smiled reassuringly at the startled girl before leading her out of the vault.

* * *

When Kaname walked into the large room he and Reina shared, he wasn't surprised to see that Zero was leaning against the far wall by the window. The Hunter's lavender eyes were scanning the surrounding area of the manor, looking for anything that might be out of place.

Reina was sitting on the bed, her hair still tangled and spotted with blood and her clothes torn and dirtied. She was staring down at her hands that were resting in her lap

"Kain, Aido would you mind keeping an eye on Haruka and Emiko, please? Both of them are in Haruka's room," Kaname told the two noble vampires, noting that both had changed into clean clothes in the time since he had last seen them.

"Of course, Kaname-sama," Aido replied, bowing his head slightly.

When the door had shut behind the two, Zero let his eyes wander over to Kaname who was staring at Reina's bowed head with a slight frown. "What do you plan on doing now, Kuran," Zero asked Kaname, his face relaxed and blank. "You expected this would happen eventually. Now that Michael has made his move what are you going to do to stop him?"

A quiet gasp slipped past Reina's lips and her sapphire eyes widened minutely. Kaname looked from his wife to the silver haired Vampire Hunter's president, eyes narrowed to show he was unhappy with the lack of discretion that had been used on Zero's part.

"T..." Closing her eyes when she caught herself about to say Takuma's name, Reina sighed before starting to speak again. "Michael had said that you were keeping things from me, Kaname and judging by what you said yourself...About having warned him not to come near me... How long, Kaname," Reina asked, lifting her head and meeting Kaname's eyes with a look that seemed far less lost and sad then it was betrayed and hurt. "How long have you known that Takuma wasn't dead and that Michael had stolen his body?"

Kaname didn't reply immediately, he stared into Reina's eyes, hating the look he saw in them. Knowing that once again he had caused her pain, he answered honestly. "I've known that Michael had stolen his body since the ball thrown by the Hunter's just before we were married, but I believed Takuma to be dead."

Her expression didn't change, she simply nodded and let her eyes leave Kaname's. Turning her attention to Zero, she asked, "And you, Zero, have you known since then as well?"

He didn't answer, but he did nod his head and fold his arms over his chest.

"I see. Aido and Kain seemed far from surprised themselves, was I the only one not to know what was going on? That Takuma wasn't dead and that his body was being used and violated by Michael Takamora," Reina inquired, her voice quaking with anger.

"I was afraid to tell you the truth. I didn't want you to blame yourself or to go looking for him. I was worried about what would happen-"

"Did you worry about what was happening to Takuma? Did you ever think about what he must have been going through? Or did you only think about yourself? You've always been good at lying, Kaname, especially to me. I thought that had changed. That you had decided it best to be honest with me because you loved me, but it seems you were only honest about the things that wouldn't make me upset with you."

"Reina," Kaname sighed. "It's not-"

"Leave," Reina cut in, giving Kaname a look that said it was best to do as she requested for the time being. "I don't want to hear your reasons or excuses right now. I have other things to think about. I suggest you find a way to fix this because if you don't... I will." She stood from the bed, striding past Kaname and into the bathroom.

"Don't look so smug, Kiryu."

"It was your decision to keep this from her," Zero spoke up. "Did you really think she would never find out?"

Ignoring him, Kaname turned and left the room. He wasn't happy about leaving his wife with the Hunter who had desired her and was now seeming like a much more suitable match for her. After all, Kiryu had always been rather upfront with Reina, he wasn't one to lie or do things in the shadows.

When Reina walked out of the bathroom several minutes later, she had showered and changed into a clean pair of black pants and a pale blue tank top that was worn beneath a sheer black lace sweater. Her white hair had been pulled into a bun and her bangs clipped back with two silver pins.

"I have a favor to ask," she said to Zero who was still leaning up against the wall by the window. Walking towards the silver haired man, Reina stood before the window and looked out over the green landscape.

"And what would that be," Zero inquired, eyes shifting to Reina who continued to stare outside.

"It's not safe here for the children, I need to get them somewhere where they'll be protected and in no danger."

Zero studied Reina for a moment, he had expected her to react much differently. Much more emotionally. Instead she seemed calm and the way she was carrying herself was nothing less than what one could expect from the queen of the vampire race.

"And what about you?"

"I'll be fine."

"What are you going to do, Reina?" Zero asked.

She didn't answer his question, she began to turn away and head for the door intending to go and pack bags for Haruka and Emiko.

Stepping away from the wall, Zero reached out and grabbed Reina's arm, stopping her from leaving. "What are you going to do," he asked again.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, Reina asked, "I'm the pureblood queen, Zero, I'm not going to allow Michael Takamora to live. Sara Shirabuki either."

"You plan on killing them both?"

"It almost sounds like you're worried, Zero."

Zero frowned and kept his grip on her arm. "If you act on your own, despite your reasons, the Association will have to see it as an act-"

"Of insanity," Reina finished. "I'm not insane, Zero, and you know it. However, if that's what your association would like to believe, then let them."

Scowling at Reina and her nonchalant attitude, Zero turned her around and forced her to face him. "This isn't you, Reina. You wouldn't abandon your children or Kaname."

Reina's eyes narrowed. "Kaname brought this upon himself and since he seems to have no desire to handle the situation that he has left fester for several years...then I will."

"Think about what you're saying," Zero advised coolly. "If you do this-"

"There is no if, Zero. I will kill Michael Takamora and make sure that Sara pays for her insolence."

Sighing, Zero ran a hand through his silver hair and briefly closed his eyes. "Fine, have it your way, but you're not going alone."

"This isn't your problem. It's not the Hunters' problem. It's-"

"I'm going with you whether you want me to or not," Zero cut in. "This.. situation has been kept from most of the Hunter's and obviously the vampire community, if either one of us goes in there alone there will be a lot of problems, but-"

"If we go together and work together then perhaps neither one of us will have to be hunted in the end," Reina finished, sighing resignedly, but nodding in agreement.

Releasing Reina's slender arm, Zero stayed silent and watched Reina's face as she turned to look back out the window. The emotion he had expected to see earlier, but hadn't was there in her eyes now and he wondered if she would really be able to kill Michael if that meant killing Takuma's body. As strong as she was, he wasn't sure that anyone could deal with having to kill someone they loved in order to protect themselves and their family.

"Are you sure you want to do this," he finally asked.

A frown flitted across her features and she exhaled a soft, quiet breath. "I don't see what other options we have. I have to protect my children."

"But can you kill him?"

"... We'll find out, won't we?"

* * *

~A/N~

Well, two more chapters and this story will come to a close. After that I think I might just start writing the other VK story I've been outlining. I actually have the story planned out through the 9th chapter at the moment, in detail. So it should be pretty easy to get the first few chapters out pretty quickly.

Please review!


	25. Chapter 25 Redeemed

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 25**

**Redeemed**

"Daddy left this for you, he said to give it to you when we got here," Haruka told Reina, hobbling over to her and handing her a crisp cream colored envelope.

"Thank you, Haruka." Reina took the envelope from the young boy and removed the letter inside.

She read quickly over Kaname's elegant script, her eyes growing worried and her hand beginning to shake. Lowering the letter to her side, she smiled at Haruka. They had all arrived only moments before at the nearest base of the Hunter's Association, Kaname hadn't joined them, choosing instead to stay at the manor.

"Hana, Kain," Reina called to the two cousins that were conversing quietly a few feet away. When they both cut off their conversation and made their way to where Reina stood, she continued. "Look after Haruka and Emiko. Don't let them out of your sight."

"Is everything alright," Aido asked.

Reina looked away. "Just watch them and do as the Hunters say. They're doing us a great favor."

She was gone before they could ask anything else, the letter from Kaname drifting to the floor, forgotten. Aido picked it up and scanned through it despite the fact it wasn't proper of of him.

"Hanabusa, what is it," Kain asked.

Glancing up at the taller, red head, he shook his head. "It's..." He glanced down at Haruka who was standing between them, eyebrows drawn together. "It's nothing," he replied, handing Kain the letter and turning to Haruka. "I think it's time for a game of hide and seek and you're it," Aido said, poking Haruka in the forehead and eliciting a giggle from the small boy.

Kain read over the letter, frowning openly. "What does he mean 'redeem myself and make things as they were, when you were happier without me'? What does he plan on doing?"

Something wasn't right. In fact something was wrong, very wrong and with a glance at Zero, Reina knew she wasn't the only one to think so. The scent of blood around the Shirabuki's extensive estate was overpowering and there were so many different scents that it was hard to tell one from the other. It wasn't until the two were cautiously walking up the front steps to the manor that a familiar scent made Reina's heart skip a beat.

Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Kaname..."

"I thought I smelled something foul," Zero grumbled to himself.

"What happened here," Reina wondered aloud as they made their way into the dimly lit home.

The once immaculate space wreaked of blood and there were streaks and gobs of it everywhere. Clothing lay scattered about the room amidst piles of dust that scattered when they opened the door. Furniture was destroyed, wallpaper ripped and shredded, flooring and walls blown apart.

Swallowing, Reina looked around and tried to focus on finding Kaname. She couldn't sense him in the manor, she couldn't sense anyone in the manor.

She shook her head and looked back at Zero, he was frowning as he glanced over the destruction. "I don't understand," she said. "They should be here."

"Who do you think did all this," Zero asked, ignoring Reina's comment. He suspected that it was Kaname and he wondered how he would deal with the pureblood when he found him.

"The house is empty now," Reina muttered. "Where could-" She gasped, cutting off her sentence and jolting as if she had been punched in the gut. Her hand rose to her chest and she cringed when a heartbeat rang loud and clear throughout her entire being.

Even Zero cringed and groaned in response to the sudden, loud and very much alive heartbeat that rang in his ears.

"It can't be," Reina murmured, her eyes staring off down a hall lit by only a few wall lamps that hadn't been busted.

"Reina," Zero cried when the woman took off down the hall without warning. Growling, he followed after her and nearly slammed into her back after racing through a doorway and down a set of unlit steps to find her at the bottom as if in a trance.

She was staring at something he couldn't see from behind her though he could hear the faint sounds of someone taking labored breaths not far away. Stepping around her so he was beside her, Zero let his eyes roam the darkness before them.

"He's still alive," Zero said, watching the bare chest of the blond that lay on a stone table in the center of the room rise and fall slowly. "Where's Kaname? His stench is all over this place."

Reina didn't answer, she breathed out shakily and fell to her knees, her eyes never leaving the Takuma's body that lay on the stone alter.

"If you can't kill him-"

"There's no need to kill him," Reina cut in softly, her head dropping into her chest.

"What do you mean," Zero asked, confused and looking down at the top of Reina's bowed head.

"Haven't you noticed, Zero?" Reina inquired, her voice barely above a whisper. There was a short silence and Reina lifted her head and met Zero's uncertain lilac eyes. "That man isn't Michael Takamora nor is Michael Takamora's aura even attached to him."

Zero frowned and glanced back at the body. "What do you mean it's not Michael Takamora? How is that possible?"

"It shouldn't _be_ possible," Reina replied. "Unless..." She trailed off, tears glistening in her eyes and trailing down her cheeks.

"Unless what," Zero pressed.

"..Unless someone sacrificed themselves so that they could remove the intruding soul from its host and seal it away by taking it with them to the underworld."

He blinked. He had no idea what she was saying. Her words were too ominous, too dark and she looked about to break as she sat on the cold stone floor, her blue eyes searching the room for something. It took him a moment to realize what she was looking for.

"Kaname?" The name was spoken before he even realized it and somehow having said it made everything suddenly very clear. "You think Kaname sacrificed himself to seal Michael away?"

Her troubled eyes never met his, they kept searching for some sign that her thoughts were wrong, but she found nothing. "Yes," she answered hoarsely.

Processing exactly what her reply meant took him a moment, but when he finally understood what it would mean for Kaname to have sacrificed himself, he leaned down next to Reina. "Reina..."

She shook her head, closing her eyes and looking away. "He's not gone. He can't be gone." Her shoulders quaked and her chest heaved as she struggled to keep her emotions under control.

Laying a hand on her back, Zero sighed, casting a glance over at Takuma when he heard something move. His eyes narrowed when he noticed the man was stirring and beginning to wake.

When his green eyes fluttered open and he dazedly looked around the room, eyes resting on Zero and Reina, Takuma spoke. His voice was a faint whisper, but it echoed around the room loudly. "Reina?"

Choking on a pent up sob, her eyes widened and she lifted her head to stare at Takuma in shock.

"Reina?" Takuma repeated, trying to lift himself into a sitting position.

That was when she broke. The tears leaking from her eyes began flowing like rivers and her sobs where harsh and wracked through her entire body, draining it of the energy she was using to hold herself upright. Her body appeared to fold in on itself as she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. She murmured Kaname's name several times, the words barely discernible.

Unsettled and confused, Takuma stumbled off of the alter towards Reina hoping to comfort the broken woman somehow. When he reached out for her, gently calling her name, he was surprised by her reaction.

"Don't...please," was all she could manage as she backed away from the hand reaching for her.

Looking up at Zero as if he might find some answers as to what was going on and why his mind was so fuzzy, Takuma noticed that the boy he remembered seemed much older and very different from his last memories of him. There was no doubt now that the boy was a man and a vampire at that.

Not knowing what else to do, Zero picked Reina up from the floor, cradling her in his arms. He heard her mutter one word, home, and with a sigh he looked at Takuma. "Stay here. I'll send someone in."

All he could was stare after Zero with his green eyes while his own heart twisted painfully in his chest. His memories were a jumbled mess, his head hurt and somehow he knew that he had done things that had hurt Reina. Not intentionally, he knew, but his hands, his body had caused her harm. Had caused her family harm.

"Family?" His voice was nearly unfamiliar to him and he blinked rapidly at the harsh sound of it echoing around him.

Lifting a hand to his head, he crumpled to his knees.

* * *

Aido blinked at the phone in his hand and then to Kain, he tried to open his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. "It was Zero."

"And," Kain pressed.

"He says to go to the Shirabuki manor," Aido trailed off, staring at his phone again as if expecting Zero to call back and say everything was just a joke.

"Why," Kain asked.

Aido jumped. "To get Ichijo."

* * *

"Take him somewhere else," Reina snapped, her voice pleading and tired as she stood inches away from Zero, her eyes red and her cheeks puffy and tear stained.

"Where am I supposed to take him, Reina, he has nowhere to go," Zero pointed out calmly.

"I don't care where you take him, Zero, I don't want him here. Not near my children."

"... One of those children is his, Reina. You used to love him-"

"That was a long time ago. Just get him out of here!" Reina yelled, tears springing back into her eyes and her head falling into her chest. "Please, Zero... I can't..."

Sighing, Zero shook his head and gently pulled Reina towards him to try and comfort the distraught woman that looked so lost and broken standing before him with her swollen eyes and reddened cheeks. "I'll see what I can do," he told her quietly, running his hand over her tangled hair reassuringly when she clutched tighter to him, her sobs intensifying.

He couldn't imagine what she must have been going through. She had lost her husband who had apparently sacrificed himself in order to return the man she had loved before him to her. Now her husband was gone, leaving her alone to deal with the sudden reappearance of her former lover and the father of her daughter on her own. She had thought he was dead for years, had thought that she would never see him again and she had come to terms with that and moved on.

But now everything was different.

The man she had thought would always be by her side, Kaname, was gone and Takuma, who she had believed to be dead was alive. Their places had been switched and Reina wasn't sure what to do or even what to feel. Kaname was gone and she had yet to tell the children or even stop crying herself. She didn't know what she would tell them about Takuma, especially Emiko who had to have become aware by now that her father was in the same building as she was. The girl had to have been very confused by this since she too had always believed him to be dead.

"Reina," a quiet, shy voice called into the room uncertainly.

Zero looked over his shoulder to see Yuuki looking into the room, it was obvious by the redness of her eyes that she too had been crying. Looking away, Zero released Reina and stepped back. "I'll leave you alone." Without a glance at Yuuki, he left the room, nodding slightly to acknowledge Ken who stood behind Yuuki.

With Zero no longer there to help her stand, Reina fell to her knees on the floor of the room she had been given while staying with the Hunters. Her shoulders were shaking and her disheveled hair hung around her face limply.

"Reina," Yuuki repeated, walking over to the woman and sitting on the floor beside her. She brushed some of Reina's hair from her wet cheeks and gladly embraced the shaking woman when she rested her head on her shoulder.

"Is it true," Ken asked, lowering himself down beside Yuuki and laying a hand on Reina's arm.

Reina could barely nod in response to the question, it was very hard to admit that everything that had happened was real and she kept hoping that she would wake up from the nightmare she had found herself in. "It's true," she rasped out. "Kaname... he..." She couldn't continue, her hands fisted and she choked on an emotion filled sob, raising a hand to her mouth she forced herself to breath and try to calm down.

"I'm so sorry, Reina," Ken whispered, forlornly watching the beautiful woman cry, her small body shaking violently while his wife tried to comfort her by shushing her and rocking her gently. "I'll leave the two of you alone. Will you be alright," he asked Yuuki, kissing her tenderly on the forehead when she offered a teary eyed smile and a nod.

* * *

"Well," Cross sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose since they had slipped down his face while he had been examining the blond vampire that sat on the edge of a neatly made bed in a rather small room with sparse furnishings and only a single window. The window was closed, the brown curtain covering it pulled tightly shut.

Looking over at Zero, who was leaning into the wall behind him, eying the blond vampire on the bed with suspicion and uncertainty, Cross continued. "He appears to be perfectly fine. Aside from the obvious holes in his memory that seems to be slowly coming back, Ichijo is in perfect health."

Zero didn't reply, he merely continued to stare at Ichijo, who was wearing a gray v-neck sweater over a white shirt and beige slacks that Cross had given him. His lilac eyes shifted to the door when a knock echoed through the room.

"Hope I'm not intruding," Ken said, opening the door and letting himself into the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Of course not," Cross replied, smiling softly. "How is Yuuki?"

"She'll be alright, it's Reina I'm worried about. Her entire life has just changed drastically in just a matter of hours. She's broken and it's hard to say if she'll be able to recover from the loss she suffered."

"Reina is a strong woman, I'm sure that given time she will heal." Cross sighed and looked towards the closed window. "Besides, she doesn't have much choice, she's now the sole leader of the vampire race and they will need her now that their king has died."

Takuma's emerald eyes widen and he gasped, blinking up at Cross in confusion. "What?" He inquired shakily.

It was Zero that spoke, his voice blank with a slightly hard edge. "Haven't you been paying attention? Kaname is dead and since his son isn't old enough to take over his role then his wife, the current queen will have to take over his place in the meantime. Meaning Reina who just lost her husband, who was the king, is now in charge of the vampire world."

"But she's not alone," Ken spoke up. "Yuuki and I will help her in any way we can."

Takuma blinked at the man that was unknown to him. "Who are you?"

"Ken," he answered, figuring it wise to leave his last name unspoken for the time being. "Yuuki's husband and a good friend of Reina's."

"Reina..." Takuma repeated the name sorrowfully, his head lowering so he could stare at the ground.

He wasn't sure what he should do. So much information was still slowly materializing in his head, his foggy memories clearing and though it was confusing to sift through the fog since for so long he had been simply an observer in his own body he felt a sense that everything was his fault. That some weakness of his own had caused Reina great harm. He was shocked to hear that so much time had passed since he had last seen Reina, to hear that she had given birth to his child, had married Kaname, become the queen of the vampire race and had born a pureblood child who would one day rule over the vampire world. Cross had told him a lot, but somehow he still felt that there was a lot he was missing.

"What are we going to do with him," Zero asked, tilting his head towards Takuma. "He can't stay here... Reina doesn't want him here."

Takuma winced, his eyes closing in response to Zero's blunt statement. He knew that much had changed, that Reina had moved on with her life but it still hurt to hear that she wanted nothing to do with him.

The door creaked open and everyone's heads turned to stare in surprise at the little blond girl that stood in the doorway.

"Emiko," Ken said, blinking at the the child whose eyes were fixed on the man on the bed.

Zero pushed himself away from the way, fighting back a scowl for not having noticed the little girl's aura. "You're not supposed to be here, come on." He laid a hand on the young girl's shoulder and tried to steer her out of the room, but she wouldn't budge.

"Papa," the little girl mumbled, blinking at Takuma who raised his head, eyes wide and shocked.

"Ichijo," Cross began quietly. "This is your daughter, Emiko Tsukina. She usually goes by Emi. Isn't that right, dear?" Cross smiled at the little girl and beckoned her over, ignoring Zero's glare and threatening look.

Slowly, Emiko walked towards Cross, standing close to the familiar man while her blue eyes remained locked on Takuma who seemed so surprised that he wasn't sure what to do.

He settled for smiling. "Hello, Emiko."

She didn't reply, instead she stepped forward and reached a hand up to set on Takuma's cheek. Takuma watched her, uncertain of what he should do or say, if anything.

The door hadn't closed behind Emiko and it slammed loudly against the wall when Reina entered the room, her eyes raging with emotion. Emiko jumped, startled and backed away from her father.

"To your room," Reina told Emiko, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Tears forming in her eyes, Emiko said nothing and ran from the room.

Casting a glance at Cross that suggested she was not happy with him, Reina turned and without another word or even a glance at Takuma, made her way back out of the room.

"Reina?" Takuma stood up, intending on following Reina or at the very least stopping her, but a stern looking Zero materialized in front of him.

Zero didn't say anything to the surprised Ichijo, he turned his eyes to Cross and spoke to him. "I want him out within the hour, Cross. I don't care where you take him, just get him out of my building."

Cross would have argued, but he could tell by the tone of Zero's voice and the look in his eyes that he meant business. He nodded in response and watched as Zero left the room, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm sorry about-"

"It's alright," Takuma cut in, smiling sadly at Cross. "A lot of things have changed and Reina must be dealing with so much... I'm just glad that she is surrounded by people who care about her."

"None of what has happened is your fault," Ken said. "Reina is aware of that, as is everyone else here. It must be hard for you to not be able to be one of those people, you love her very much after all."

"I understand why I can't be one of those people for Reina, I was dead to her for years and then I suddenly appear and try to take everything away from her that she cares about. It may not have been me in control of my own actions, but it can't be easy to face the person who tried to kill your friends and children. I will always love Reina, maybe one day she'll be able to look at me again. If not that's okay too as long as she's happy."

"Do you have anywhere to stay," Cross asked. "The Ichijo manor was... well it's not in the best shape. Since you and Reina weren't married at the time of your...um... disappearance she wasn't able to do anything with the property and it was left as it was after your last meeting with your grandfather."

"I see..."

"You can stay in my old home. It's not quite the size of the Ichijo manor, but you'll have somewhere to rest your head at least," Ken offered, referring to the penthouse he owned that he had long ago taken Reina to when he had rescued her from his father in what seemed like a different lifetime. "It will give you time to yourself, to think, while the Ichijo manor is rebuilt. It's my understanding that the Ichijo corporation is still functioning and since there was no proof of your death I don't believe it should be difficult for you to lay claim to the wealth that is rightfully yours."

Takuma nodded solemnly. "I don't know you, why are you willing to help me?"

"My family has caused you very much trouble, it's the least I can do," Ken answered somberly, inclining his head to Ichijo and Cross. "If you'll excuse me, I'd like to check on my wife."

"What did he mean his family," Ichijo asked Cross.

"Ken is a Takamora, it was his brother that possessed you."

Eyes widening, Ichijo glanced at the door.

"There's no need to worry," Cross said, smiling. "Ken has been a trusted friend to Reina for sometime. The fact that Yuuki is his wife should show that even Kaname trusted him enough to entrust him with something precious to him."

He nodded, looking towards the ground. A feeling of nausea washed over him as yet another memory bombarded his consciousness. He knew that the memories weren't his, that though his body had performed the motions, he hadn't been the one in control, but that didn't make him feel any less sickened by the things he saw floating though his head. The trysts with Sara Shirabuki were the ones that bothered him the most, that haunted him whenever he closed his eyes.

"Things will get better in time," Cross told him, jolting the blond vampire out of his stupor. "I suppose we should get you ready to go. We've already informed the rest of the Association about the situation and I believe that Aido and Kain were seeing to informing the Council of the recent events as well... No one blames you, Ichijo, just remember that."

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Reina," Aido asked, eying the elegant white haired vampire beside him uncertainly before turning his icy blue eyes back to the large mansion that spread out in front of them.

It was gigantic when compared to the manor that Reina had spent most of her life in. The style was more Gothic with hints of classical architecture that gave it a very imposing look. It was nestled in the mountains and surrounded by dense forest, peaceful and quiet, perfect for gathering one's thoughts or losing themselves in them.

"I am a Kuran, even if it is just by marriage, this home belongs to me now. I have no desire to return to my own home..not after everything that has happened there. Besides, this location is much easier to defend and I happen to know a great deal about its secrets," she smiled a soft, knowing smile at Aido. "Come on, I'd like to see what has been done. By now I'm sure that Midori and the staff have everything in order."

"But... it's such a big change," Aido said. "Are you sure you want to move Emiko and Haruka out here? The location may be easier to defend, but we don't have enough people to defend it and it would take time-"

"There are plenty of people to protect it," Reina cut in. "Haven't you noticed, Aido, we're surrounded by them already. Hunters and vampires alike have gathered here for one purpose."

"And what's that?"

Reina smiled, turning her head towards the large mansion and beginning to glide towards it. "To protect the last Queen and the future King of the vampire race. If anything were to happen to us both sides know that the damage caused would create civil war. It's a nice thought, after all the time Kaname spent trying to get both sides to cooperate and work together, it's finally happening and he's not here to see it."

"Reina.." Aido trailed off, sighing sadly and following after the pureblood.

"I'll be fine, Hana," Reina spoke up. "I've got a lot to live for... Is Emiko still unhappy with me?"

He nodded, his blue eyes sad. "She won't leave her room at the Hunter's building."

"I suppose I overreacted a bit, but," she sighed, trailing off and leaving the sentence hanging in the cool air.

"He wouldn't have hurt her," Aido stated quietly.

Reina froze, her eyes staring straight ahead of her and her hair blowing in the wind behind her. "I know," she whispered. "Takuma wouldn't hurt a fly. I on the other hand have hurt him quite a bit."

"He understands your reasons, he-"

Chuckling lightly, Reina tilted her head upward and stared into the dusky sky. "He always understood everything, Hana, it's just the way Takuma was. Is..." She shook her head. "I don't want to speak of this any more. I've moved on once, I can do it again."

Nodding, Aido sighed inwardly. He wondered what Kaname would have said to Reina if he could see her now. It might not have been his place, but he didn't think that the pureblood lord had sacrificed himself to save his once trusted friend and Reina's former love to see her start over from the beginning. He thought Kaname had done what he had to give Reina the chance to spend her life loving the man she had loved before him, the man she had always loved even after her marriage. Reina had never forgotten Takuma, she couldn't when his daughter was smiling at her everyday and Kaname knew that. He blamed himself for what had happened to Takuma and in saving his friend, he had wanted to redeem himself of the many sins he had committed during his long life.

He knew Reina must have understood the reasons behind Kaname's actions, she knew him better than anyone after all. He just wondered if she would ever see that Kaname would want her to be happy even if that meant spending her life with another man. A man she had dearly loved and had never forgotten, just as she would never forget Kaname and everything he had given her.

* * *

~A/N~

Well everyone is this is it. One last chapter, a sort of epilogue, and Tainted will be complete. Please let me know what you think and review! Thank you!


	26. Chapter 26 A New Beginning

Disclaimer- I don't own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 26**

**A New Beginning**

Takuma was standing before one of the many full bookcases that lined the large library of the Ichijo manor. The scent of the paper and the old leather bindings of the books was relaxing in a way and he spent much of his time perusing the many books that the library held. Living alone was a new experience for him, one he wasn't sure he was very fond of.

It had been a little over a year since Kaname had sacrificed himself in order to remove Michael's soul from his body and in that time he hadn't once seen Reina or his daughter. News of them would occasionally reach him usually through Shiki and Rima when the pair would come to visit.

It seemed that Reina was taking the death of Kaname very hard and would hardly speak to anyone aside from her children. Her smiles had grown fake and the warmth and happiness that she had once exuded seemed to be nothing but a vague memory. It made him sad that Reina was no longer happy and he wished he could do something, anything to make her smile again. However, no matter how hard he wished to be there for Reina, he knew she didn't want him there. He was the source for much of her sadness. It may not have been him to have caused her so much pain, not personally, but it was his body that had inflicted it and it couldn't be easy to face the person who had caused so much hurt.

There was a soft knock on the library door before it opened and one of the household servants bustled in with a low bow. "Ichijo-sama, you have visitors."

Closing the book he was reading, he turned to face the young woman and nod his ascent for her to show the guests in. The woman briefly disappeared before leading in two people he immediately recognized. "Aido, Kain," he greeted, smiling brightly at his unexpected visitors. "It's nice to see you. You hardly ever come to see me, is everything alright?"

Kain and Aido exchanged brief glances, confusing Takuma when Aido looked behind him at something still in the hall.

Aren't you coming in," Aido inquired of a person Takuma couldn't see.

Blinking, Takuma found himself freezing to his spot, his eyes wide and staring at the door. A shadow proceeded the lone figure that was dressed neatly in black heels, gray slacks and a blue v-necked top with black bead work along the collar. White hair hung in waves down the figure's back, a few stray pieces falling over her shoulder as she walked with her head down and her eyes staring at a book grasped in both of her hands.

"Reina," Takuma said absently, his eyes unable to leave the form of the beautiful woman that had walked into his library.

When Reina looked up, she smiled wanly at Takuma before once again lowering her eyes to stare at the book in her hands. "I brought this for you. I thought you might like it," she said quietly, shifting the book in her grasp nervously.

Walking closer to the silent girl that seemed so torn and lost, Takuma couldn't help but to stop in front of her and lift a hand to gently brush some of her hair from her face. In response to his action, Reina took a shuddering intake of air and briefly closed her eyes. She could feel the tears building up behind her eyelids and when she reopened them, she wasn't surprised that they spilled over and trailed down her face.

"Don't cry," Takuma whispered, wiping her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. "Please don't cry, Reina."

"Takuma," she murmured, the tears beginning to fall faster from her eyes. "I'm so sorry. I-"

"Shhh," he hushed her quietly, cupping her cheeks in his hands and leaning his forward head against hers. "You have nothing to apologize for. Nothing. So please stop crying, Reina."

"Takuma," she muttered, her tears pouring down her cheeks as she stepped closer to the blond and buried her head in his neck.

Sighing and smiling forlornly, Takuma wrapped his arms around the lithe body that was shaking violently while heart wrenching sobs tumbled from her lips. He gently stroked her long hair and laid his cheek against the soft strands. "Reina..."

Without a glance at his cousin, Hanabusa turned away from Reina and Takuma and left the room. Figuring it best to follow, Kain left the library and closed the door behind him, leaving the couple alone.

Takuma wasn't sure what to say or if he should even say anything. There was so much that he wanted to say, but he just wasn't sure how. He settled for tightening his grip on Reina's shaking body and taking a deep breath to inhale the soft, delicate scent that he had missed for so long. "My love..." The words had fallen from his lips before he had realized what he was saying and when he felt Reina stiffen and heard the sharp intake of breath, he pulled back slightly to look down at her. "Reina, I-"

"It's alright, Takuma," Reina murmured, putting a small finger over his lips briefly before she pulled her hand away and curled her fingers as she brought her hand to her chest and looked down at the book she was still loosely holding on to.

Smiling dimly, Takuma gently removed the book Reina was holding from her hands. He didn't glance at the book or its title, but still said, "Thank you very much for the book, Reina. I'm sure I'll enjoy it..." He trailed off and set the book aside, Reina had still not looked up again.

Tears were still leaking slowly from her eyes leaving salty trails on her pale cheeks and her hands were hanging at her sides, her thin fingers curling in her distress. The distraught woman took in a shaky breath, her eyes widening when Takuma's gentle hands brushed over her cheeks, wiping away her tears before he lightly cupped her face in his palms. Tilting Reina's face upwards so that he could see into her red rimmed eyes, Takuma smiled brilliantly though his eyes hinted he wasn't as happy as he seemed.

"Takuma..."

"You didn't come here just to give me a book, did you? I'm happy that you're here, but... Why are you here, Reina? I would have thought that you wouldn't ever want to see me again. Not after everything that happened. Everything I did."

Reina shook her head, closing her eyes and sniffling as she did so. "No. It wasn't you... It wasn't your fault. I've always known that. I just... I didn't know what to do. Everything went so wrong and it was my fault. I'm-" Reina was cut off when Takuma leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened and she pulled away abruptly because of the shock.

Laughing, Takuma smiled at the look on Reina's face. "You still look cute when you blush."

"I wasn't blushing. You startled me."

"Shall we try again and see what happens?" Takuma challenged.

Huffing and folding her arms over her chest, Reina indignantly looked away. "I have no intention of being manhandled by you, Takuma Ichijo."

"But it'll be fun."

Tweaking a brow at the blond, Reina gave him a skeptical look. "As fun as it would be if your manga disappeared so I can watch you run around and freak out?"

A horrified look crept on Takuma's face before he pouted. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," Reina replied, smirking playfully.

"I believe that was an invitation," Takuma replied, grinning as he pulled Reina to him and practically crushed her body against his own.

All Reina could do was stare wide eyed up into the green eyes that she had once loved to lose herself in. Even as Takuma dipped his head and captured her lips in a hungry kissing, she could only numbly stand there, her body at first completely unwilling to move. Noticing Reina's reluctance, Takuma began to pull away from her.

"I'm sorry, Reina, I-"

Latching on to Takuma, Reina refused to let the tall man step back. Her nails dug into the soft fabric of his sweater and kept him from speaking any further, confused about what she was doing.

"Please don't pull away... I love you, Takuma... I've always loved you and I know I betrayed you, but-"

"You didn't betray anyone, Reina," Takuma cut in. "You've just always blamed yourself for everything. None of what happened is your fault. None of it. Understand," he asked sternly, taking her face in his hands and staring adamantly down at her.

When Reina nodded, Takuma smiled. "Good. Now why don't you tell me why you came all this way to see me."

"I...I missed you," she answered softly, reaching up to stroke his cheek while gazing up at him uncertainly.

"I've missed you, too," he replied, placing his lips over hers almost experimentally to see how she would react.

Their lips moved slowly, uncertainly at first the intensity picking up as the seconds ticked by and their surroundings began to grow dim around them. All that mattered was then and now, the two of them, reunited after so much hardship and trauma.

Taking a shuddering breath, Reina pulled away, breathing roughly. "I love you, Takuma. I've always loved you and I've never forgotten you. Ever... I can't just forget Kaname-"

"And you shouldn't. Kaname has always meant a lot to you, Reina, and you to him. You should never forget him or the love you always had for each other and I don't expect you to," Takuma interrupted. "You should always hold onto those memories, he would want you to, but he wouldn't want them to make you sad."

"I know... but, I miss him," she admitted, lowering her head to hide her tears.

"Reina," Takuma sighed, brushing her tears from her cheeks and kissing her forehead.

Shaking her head, she sniffled and looked back up, mustering as bright a smile as she could. "I didn't come here to talk about such sad things." She turned away from Takuma, sapphire eyes looking over the room until they fell upon a sleek stereo system that was set up on the lone desk that sat beneath a large window.

"And what did you come here to talk about," Takuma asked, following slowly behind Reina as she walked towards the desk to turn on the stereo and fiddle with it for a moment before soft classical music poured from the surround sound speakers in the room.

"Us," she answered, a smile lifting her lips and brightening her eyes when Takuma blinked at her. Walking back towards the blond vampire, she took his hand in hers and laid his other on her waist before putting her hand on his shoulder. "Are you going to dance with me or not?" She asked when Takuma only blinked at her.

Snapping out of his stupor, Takuma began to lead Reina around the wooden floor of the library.

"I'm sorry," Reina said after a few moments of silence between them, her eyes looked away from Takuma's, ashamed. "When Zero and I found you and I realized that Kaname was gone, I didn't want to accept any of it. I reacted harshly, it must have hurt you and I'm very sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, I understand. You were in shock and after everything that had happened it's not hard to see why you reacted the way you did."

She smiled softly. "I knew you'd say something like that. You're still quite predictable it seems. You haven't changed much, that's good."

"You've changed a lot," Takuma replied. "You're still as beautiful as I remember, but everything else is different. There's a different aura about you now. You don't seem so lost or uncertain anymore."

"I have a lot of responsibility now and don't have the luxury of being unsure. I'm expected to have answers and to make things happen, otherwise I'll have to deal with the bickering of the Council. I really have no idea how Kaname handled it," she added in a low mumble.

Takuma chuckled at the small pout on her face. "You're cute when you pout." He tapped her nose with a finger and watched her crinkle her nose and frown at him. "You're also cute when you try to look angry."

She huffed and turned away, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him. He always had been able to make her act like a child. There had always been something about him that made her feel safe, warm and at ease.

"I..." She trailed off, sighing as they stopped dancing and she stared off to her right. After taking a deep breath, she looked back up at Takuma. "I want you to come home."

He blinked at her. "I am home."

She shook her head. "Home with me. Home with Emiko, Haruka too. You belong with me."

"Reina," he sighed, shaking his head and running a hand through her hair.

"We belong together, Takuma... Or don't you want me anymore?"

"It's not like that, of course I want to be with you-"

"Then come home with me... Please." Her voice was soft, pleading as she stared up into Takuma's uncertain green eyes.

"I can't," Takuma said quietly, letting his hand fall away from her cheek that he had cupped.

"Why," she asked almost harshly.

"It's just not that easy. So much has happened. I've done-"

"You did nothing," Reina cut in. "It wasn't you that did any of the things Michael was responsible for while he possessed you. I know that, the Council knows that, the Hunters know that, everyone knows that."

He shook his head again. "But I remember everything that was done with my body. Everything, Reina and I'm not proud of it-"

"Then forget it and move on."

"It's not that simple-"

"Fine, I'll make it that simple," she replied with a hint of stubborn arrogance. "Hana, Kain," she called authoritatively, stepping away from Takuma and looking towards the door that opened a second after her call.

"Is everything alright," Aido asked, eyes switching between the former couple.

"No," Reina replied matter of factly. "Takuma seems to forget that he's talking to the current head of the Kuran family and the queen of our race so I'd like to show him what happens when I don't get my way."

"Uh..." Takuma blinked at Reina nervously and chuckled. "I think I made her angry," he said to Kain, who sighed and rolled his eyes. "She's scary when she's angry..."

"What would like us to do, Reina," Aido asked.

Reina smiled and looked at Takuma triumphantly. "Bring him with us. If he resists... Burn his manga."

Takuma's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he gaped in disbelief at Reina. "You wouldn't," he cried.

She smirked and point a finger at herself. "Spoiled pureblood, Takuma, we've had this conversation before and I'm pretty sure I won then too."

"But my manga," he whined pathetically.

"Will only burn if you resist," Reina said.

Drooping, Takuma mumbled to himself and slouched towards the door. "I'll go pack."

"Don't worry about that," Reina called out, smirking again when Takuma looked back at her, confused. "It's already been done."

"When," he asked.

"Pureblood queen, Takuma," Reina sang. "Everyone does what I say, including your loyal servants."

"You're mean."

Reina tilted a brow. "No, I like getting what I want. There's a difference. Now come along, the car's waiting. So are the children."

"Reina, wait." Takuma grabbed hold of her hand lightly as she made to walk passed him. "I really don't think this is a good idea."

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't, but we'll never know until we try. Will we?"

* * *

~A/N~

Review please!


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